whydah

Or whid·ah

[hwid-uh, wid-uh]

noun

1. any of several small African finches of the subfamily Viduinae, the males of which have elongated, drooping tail feathers during the breeding season.

2. any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, the males of which have similar long tails.

whydah

/ ˈwɪdə /

noun

1. Also called: whydah bird.  whidah bird.  widow bird. any of various predominantly black African weaverbirds of the genus Vidua and related genera, the males of which grow very long tail feathers in the breeding season

Word History and Origins

Origin of whydah¹

1775–85; alteration of widow ( bird ) to make name agree with that of a town in Benin, West Africa, one of its haunts

Word History and Origins

Origin of whydah¹

C18: after the name of a town in Benin

Example Sentences

If enough birds are released, if the climate is right, and, more important, if a proper host is around, the whydah can persist.

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If you spot a whydah in your backyard, don’t try to capture or harm it, Dr. Hauber said.

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The whydah has now successfully colonized Puerto Rico and is starting to make a home in California, and Dr. Hauber is worried.

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But the whydah has also proven itself capable of switching hosts when its tricks don’t work.

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But the whydah is not a good flyer, does not migrate and may not be good at crossing bodies of water.

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