Shady Characters by Malva

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters from wordplay, separated into groups by the extra-word clues, were jumbled colours. Each colour was associated with one clue answer to form a bird name (Across: 7 tanager, 14 greenshank, 16 yellowhammer, 39 rubythroat; Down: 5 sandpiper, 22 butterbump, 28 redstart, 35 blue tit), the answer being entered in the grid in the appropriate colour. The letters from extra words formed “red-necked phalarope”. Reasonable approximations of the colours were accepted, as were coloured letters or shaded cells, and NECKED PHALAROPE as well as NECKED PHALAROPE.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 propaganda MASH-UPS PUSH * after MAS
7   AGER [L]AGER
10   ALKALI AL[L] + KALI
11   PAPAYA PA[Y] + PAY + A
12   SCRY SORC[E]RY − OR
13   EPISOMES (SOME P[O]ISE) *
14   SHANK S + HA[W]K around N
16 compatible HAMMER HAM + MER(ino)
19   ARALIAS [B]AR + ALIAS
20   CRANIA [U]RANIC * + À
23   XEMA ([L]AM + EX) <
25   RAPS SP[E]AR <
26 Hollywood OUIJAS (EMOJI USA − EM) *
27   ASTEISM (SAME [A]S IT) *
32   DITALS (A STIL[T]ED) * − E
33   PRUDE [N]UDE after PR
34 attack STANIELS (AS LINNETS − N) *
37   BRER B[A]RER
38   SIRCAR SIR[S] + CAR(e)
39   THROAT THAT around RO[D]
40   ETTY E[N]TITY − I
41 omnivore MYELONS Y in MELONS
Down
1 no-one MASSACRED MASS + CARED *
2   ALCHERA HERA after [T]ALC
3   SKRAN [B]ANKS * around R(ationing)
4   ULE [R]ULE
5   PIPER P[U]P around I + E(at) R(acing)
6   BASAL BASAL[T]
7   APOMIXIS A + [E]PO + MIX + IS
8 Ponder GAMMA (AM + MAG) <
9   EYE E[E]YORE − OR
15   KAIL A in KIL[N]
16   HALO HA(d) + LO[G]
17   REASSERTS RE + ASSETS around R[R]
18   INSTANCY IN + STANC[E] + (traged)Y
21 lashed AXIS A + SIX <
22   BUMP BUM + [E]P
24   MAZDEAN MAZE around D(eity) + AN[D]
28   START STAR + [R]T
29 renaissance ELIAN (C)ELIA (or (D)ELIA) + ’N’
30   SALTY T[R]Y after SAL
31   BUROO BUR[Y] + O(sl)O
35   TIT [B]IT after T(hailand)
36   SHE H(omework) in [U]SE
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