whydah

American  

[hwid-uh, wid-uh] / ˈʰwɪd ə, ˈwɪd ə /

Or whidah

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.

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whydah British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of whydah

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

Example Sentences

The other birds were crows, turtle-doves, fish-hawks, kingfishers, ibis nigra and ibis religiosa, flocks of whydah birds, geese, darters, paddy birds, kites, and eagles.

From How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone, by Henry M. Stanley by Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)