Whydah Bird, or WIDOW BIRD (Vidua), a genus of African birds related to the Weavers, having long wings, and a boat-shaped tail, the two middle feathers of the tail of the males excessively lengthened during the breeding season. The name is derived from the country of Whydah in Dahomey, and 'Widow Bird' is a mere corruption of it, which, however, has given to the genus its name Vidua (Lat., 'widow'), regarded as appropriate because the long tail of the male drops off after the breeding season, and also because of the general dark colour of the plumage. They are frequently brought to Britain as cage-birds, both on account of their plumage and the sweetness of their song. The best-known species (V. paradisea) is a small bird, about the size of a canary, with black and brownish-black plumage, with a broad collar of orange-rufous colour, and breast of somewhat similar colour.