The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PTARMIGAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
P
T
A
R
M
I
G
A
N
More clues leading to the result PTARMIGAN
- Tramp again disturbed shoos off a bird
- Bird, a migrant flying lower than pigeon at first
- Bum rap: mating game
- Rampant GI shot flier
- Bird found in pram with giant wheels
- Game bird training horse to turn after limb originally injured
- Worm finally caught by a parting, wandering bird
- Bird got by sailor — mighty not half! — in vessel
- Tramping around nursing a grouse
- Bird fluttering in part, game that’s tailless
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 = ptarmigan.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 PTARMIGAN mean?
PTARMIGAN noun- Any of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.