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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
: 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
2 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
weaverbird
vswhydah
  • Indian
1 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
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

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.