zebra finch

American  

noun

1. a small Australian waxbill, Poephila guttata, that has black-and-white barred plumage and a chestnut ear patch: popular as a cage bird.

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zebra finch British  

noun

1. any of various Australasian songbirds with zebra-like markings, such as the grassfinch Poephila castanotis

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Etymology

Origin of zebra finch

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

However, experiments in birds like the zebra finch help provide some answers as to why this species sings.

From Salon

After the eggs hatched, the baby birds received one of two treatments—road noise or zebra finch song—for another 9 nights.

From Science Magazine

"After chasing dozens of them, the real winners were from birds," Collins said, including the zebra finch and the white-throated sparrow.

From Science Daily

To test their technology, researchers mapped the genome of the zebra finch, a songbird that had already been sequenced to study brain development.

From Science Daily

When studying the zebra finch vocal muscles, the team made another very important discovery.

From Science Daily