Cryptic crossword clue
Treachery cost criminal, getting bird 13

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word OYSTERCATCHER

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
O
Y
S
T
E
R
C
A
T
C
H
E
R

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 = oystercatcher.
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 OYSTERCATCHER mean?

OYSTERCATCHER noun
  1. Any of several black or pied coastal wading birds in the genus Haematopus that have a long red or orange bill and feed on shellfish.

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