The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word EGRET
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
E
G
R
E
T
More clues leading to the result EGRET
- Elegant white bird: for example, tailless tern ascending
- Introduction taken to heart would make this leggy bird welcome
- Bird in sorrow hiding head
- Mourn headless heron
- Feel bad about sending off one right winger
- Seabird’s cry in Aberdeen, repeated character to the fore
- Bird plunged in water gets up
- Bird turned up covered in detergent
- Wading bird's sorrow when first river vanishes
- Bird hunter gets nets up
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Wading bird" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case wading bird = egret.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 EGRET mean?
EGRET noun- Any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta or Ardea that includes herons, many of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season.
- A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament.
- The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or achenes, such as the down of the thistle.
- The crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)