Bird Name

[wm333]

Alness heritage Centre Cryptic Quiz due in 26 July 2024 on British Birds and Wildfowl

Question 7: What a grumbly, whiney, wingey complaining man! (5 letters)

Possibles are grouse (but 6 letters), snipe (but not exactly as the clue defines), gripe (old name for vulture but it is not a British bird) so help please!

Thanks in advance.

[bhg481]

shrew? but normally applied to a woman.

[bhg481]

Forget that - shrew isn't a bird.

[Khandro]

Have you found the answer. I've looked through the index in a bird book & can't see anything suitable - now it's driving me nuts ! 😝

[newmodarmy]

the HE in the clue made me wonder if it's a male name like Finch or more likely ROBIN.

I found this  https://community.rspb.org.uk/chat/f/the-tea-rooms/201310/is-there-a-bird-that-sounds-like-a-dog-whimpering

[Khandro]

My daughter, who is staying here at the moment & knows a great deal about birds & all wild-life has suggested, snipe, which fits the  'whiney, wingey complaining man' - i.e. someone who is always sniping at others.

[newmodarmy]

snipe seems the best answer to me- although I'm not sure why the clue says man rather than person.

And why is the spelling 'wingy'* rather than 'whingy'?

*I note wingy is a synonym for SWIFT but don't see how the other bits of the clue would lead to that

[wm333]

Khandro, I kind of discounted snipe at the start because it suggests to me sporadic action rather than continuous action - but who knows?

[Romanski]

Fanciful suggestion. Does the description fit Homer Simpson and therefore the bird is homer = homing pigeon?

[newmodarmy]

Good thinking!  

[newmodarmy]

I could only think of Victor Medrew but that didn't give anything