Plural of avadavat, a small colorful finch native to Asia with red plumage and white spots.
From Hindi 'amadavat,' named after the city of Ahmadabad in India where these birds were commonly found and exported. The word entered English in the 18th century through colonial trade routes.
Avadavats were so popular as caged songbirds in Victorian Europe that they nearly became extinct in their native range—a cautionary tale about how beautiful things can be loved to the brink of disappearance.
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