Cryptic crossword clue
Birds protecting a corner make a defiant gesture

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 1 plus 5 letter word COCK A SNOOK

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "make a defiant gesture" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case make a defiant gesture = cock a snook.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

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