The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word WHEATEAR
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
H
E
A
T
E
A
R
More clues leading to the result WHEATEAR
- Race into northern river to find bird
- Bird requiring warmth in river
- Preliminary race in sport for bird
- Don eats roast bird
- Bird in hot weather diving into English river
- Bird in display filled with passion
- Bird reported little row
- Bird — last to eat toast?
- That man worried during battle to become singer
- ‘Stormy Weather’ overwhelms a songster
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 = wheatear.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 WHEATEAR mean?
WHEATEAR noun- Any of various passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe that feed on insects,
- An ear of wheat.
- A decorative pattern resembling an ear of wheat.