Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of various seed-eating songbirds of the family Estrildidae and especially of the genus Estrilda, native to Africa and introduced elsewhere, and having a short, often brightly colored waxy beak.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One of numerous small Old World birds of the family Ploceidæ and subfamily Spermestinæ, whose bills have a certain waxen appearance, due to the translucency of the horny covering, which may be white, pink, red, etc.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of finchlike birds belonging to Estrelda and allied genera, native of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The bill is large, conical, and usually red in color, resembling sealing wax. Several of the species are often kept as cage birds.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any
bird of thegenus Estrilda .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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For example, the endemic Cinderella waxbill (Estrilda thomensis, LR) is restricted to the Kunene Riverbed.
Kaokoveld desert 2008
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All the near-endemic species except the Cinderella waxbill (Estrilda thomensis) are restricted to rocky habitats.
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Some introduced resident landbirds are waxbill (Estrilda astrild), common myna (Acridotheres tristis), and canary (Serinus flaviventris).
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The Cinderella waxbill is found in the wetter area of southern Angola, entering the ecoregion down the Kunene River.
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The area also hosts the threatened black-faced waxbill (Estrilda nogriloris).
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However, the near-endemic bird, Anambra waxbill (Estrilda poliopareia, VU), is considered to be typical of Niger-Cross region.
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The same treatment suits the African waxbills, many of which are extremely beautiful, the crimson-eared waxbill or "cordon-bleu" being one of the most lovely and frequently imported.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 "Austria, Lower" to "Bacon" Various
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The Indian red-munia or red waxbill or _lal_ (_Sporæginthus amandava_) is another very small bird.
Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916
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The other bird, called a nun or waxbill, is about the size of a thrush, grayish in color, with a waxy red bill.
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The other bird, called a nun or waxbill, is about the size of a thrush, grayish in color, with a waxy red bill.
Through the Brazilian Wilderness Theodore Roosevelt 1888
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