Migratory Birds by Malva

Puzzle explanation

Each clue contained the name of a bird, but the birds had all “migrated” to a different clue and needed to be restored before solving. The “muddled” birds in the grid were VIREO (column 4), TEREK (column 6) and CRAKE (column 11).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Correct bird Answer Explanation
Across
1 ousel OPUS P in OUSEL − EL
4 coots STOCCADO COOTS * around CAD
10 avocet KATI KAI around (avoce)T
11 rook COROT ROO(k) * in (C(rimson) + T(urquoise))
13 prion TRIOR RT < around (p)RIO(n)
14 pelican LEMPIRA (MORE PELICAN) * − ONCE *
15 pintail VITA V + (PINTAIL − PIN − L) *
17 snipe SPIEGELEISEN (ELEGISE SNIPE) *
21 merles REMBLAI MER(les) < + BLAI(n)
23 elanets STEALES (S + ELA(n)ETS) <
25 pigeons CARPET-KNIGHT (TRACKING THE + P(igeons)) *
28 stork KETA (stor)K + ATE <
30 nuthatch NARDING HARDING with N(uthatch) for the first letter
31 ortolans IVORY IVY around OR(tolans)
32 peewit TWIER (PEEWIT − PE) * + R
33 goosander GOOR GOOSANDER − DANES *
34 serin INTRORSE SERIN * around ROT *
35 nandoos ULNA (colourf)UL NA(ndoos)
Down
1 kite OKTA K(i)T(e) in OA(k)
2 parakeet PARAPET PARAKEET with P for KE
3 tui UTILISER TUI * + LIS + ER
4 grebe SCRIGGLED (SCALDING GREBE) * − BEAN *
5 stilt TILTER (s)TILT + ER
6 oriole ODEA IDEA with O(riole) for I
7 crow COPAIBA C(r)O(w) P(r)A(t)I(e) + BA(y)
8 rail ARIA A + RAIL * − L
9 kokako DORK (K(okako) or (ko)K(ako) or (koka)K(o)) after DOR
12 ani TAENIA TAE + ANI *
16 tit CEMENTITE (MENE around TIT) after CE
18 owls SLAG WOOL (AL(l) + OWLS GO) *
19 terns ASCENT A + SCEN(e) + T(erns)
20 dipper RAPIDER (A + DI(p)PER) * + R
22 heron ACHERON HERON after (A + C)
24 skuas SKEGGS SK(uas) + EGG + S
26 buzzards BAWN B(uzzards) A(pparently) W(elcome) N(ear)
27 swift FRIT (SWIFT − S − W) * around R
28 kingfisher KNUR K(ingfisher) + RUN <
29 raven EYRA (pr)EY RA(ven)
Back to 2019 menu