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Glite Dictionary
whydah

whydah

9.9
A small African bird with mostly black feathers and long male tail feathers in breeding season
  • noun
  • /ˈwaɪdə/
  • South African
translation icon : whydah

Examples

  • Four thousand Whydahs, for example, were sacrificed when Dahomey conquered Whydah in 1727.

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  • The male whydah displays long tail feathers during the breeding season to attract a mate.

  • In the savanna, a flock of whydah birds can often be seen foraging for seeds.

  • The whydah is known for its striking black plumage and beautiful courtship displays.

Synonyms

weaver
vswhydah
1 7.5

A small bird that makes hanging nests from grass and twigs

is a particular species within that family with black plumage and long tail
whidah
vswhydah
  • South African
9.9

A small African songbird with males that have very long tail feathers

is a variant spelling used for the same bird
Vidua
vswhydah
  • Specialized
9.9

A small African songbird whose males grow long tail feathers during the breeding season

is the common name for a species within that genus
weaverbird
vswhydah
  • Indian
8.8

A small African or Asian bird that builds woven nests in groups

is the specific black plumaged species with long male tail during breeding

Surface Forms

whydah singular
whydahs plural

Etymology

Whydah comes from the name of a place on the West African coast called Whydah, now called Ouidah, where sailors first saw and brought back the bird. So the name is a clue that this is a small African bird, famous because the male grows long, showy tail feathers.