The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SUNBIRD
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
U
N
B
I
R
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Flighty African" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case flighty african = sunbird.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 SUNBIRD mean?
SUNBIRD noun- A bird belonging to any of several species in the family Nectariniidae.
- A person, usually one who is retired, who travels from a warm climate to a colder one in the summer.