: any of various mostly brownish African passerine birds (genera Anomalospiza and Vidua) often kept as cage birds and distinguished in the male by black-and-white plumage and by long tail feathers during the breeding season
Examples of whydah in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While having a beautiful bird might not seem like much of a problem, the whydah is one of only about 100 parasitic birds in the world.
—
Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 30 June 2017
The flashy whydah, Vidua macroura, is a native of sub-Saharan Africa.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 30 June 2017
The availability of a host will also determine whether Florida becomes the U.S.’s third whydah population.
—Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, 25 Oct. 2017
So Hammer checked with a birder friend who suggested looking up whydahs, which matched what Hammer observed.
—Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, 25 Oct. 2017
And in California, scaly-breasted munias have been found feeding young whydahs.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 29 June 2017
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Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 30 June 2017
The flashy whydah, Vidua macroura, is a native of sub-Saharan Africa.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 30 June 2017
The availability of a host will also determine whether Florida becomes the U.S.’s third whydah population.
—Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, 25 Oct. 2017
So Hammer checked with a birder friend who suggested looking up whydahs, which matched what Hammer observed.
—Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, 25 Oct. 2017
And in California, scaly-breasted munias have been found feeding young whydahs.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 29 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Whydah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whydah. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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