Cryptic crossword clue
Budgerigars, perhaps, rising like owls in flight?

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word STEPWISE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
T
E
P
W
I
S
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "in flight?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in flight? = stepwise.
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.

What does STEPWISE mean?

STEPWISE adjective
  1. One (small) step or stage at a time; gradual; piecemeal
STEPWISE adverb
  1. One step or stage at a time; step by step

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