The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word THORNBILL
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "bird" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case bird = thornbill.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 THORNBILL mean?
THORNBILL noun- Any of the passerine birds of the genus Acanthiza, native to Australia.
- Any of the hummingbirds of the genera Chalcostigma and Ramphomicron, native to the Americas.