Oriental Cuckoo

The lush forests of the Oki Islands attracted numerous birds to dwell here. Many birds can be observed here, especially summer birds (migratory birds that migrate to Japan during spring and summer, and leave for their wintering destination during autumn). There are also notable mountain birds. In spring, you can hear the unique chirping of the Himalayan cuckoo that goes “popo, popo” repeating in the mountains. The Himalayan cuckoo is a species of cuckoo, and is about 33 cm in size; slightly larger than the lesser cuckoo. The bird has grey upperparts and upper wings, and white abdomen with black stripes. This species is a brood parasite (brood parasitism is a strategy where animals rely on others to raise their young, and cuckoo is one example of a brood parasite), and the bird mainly lays eggs in the nests of eastern crowned warbler and Japanese leaf warbler.