Crossword Genius

A winger, but you wouldnt believe it by its sound! (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lyrebird

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'it by its sound' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'a winger but you wouldnt believe' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'winger' could be 'bird' and 'bird' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'lyre' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lyrebird that I've seen before include "Australian native" , "Australian long-tailed avian" , "Very long-tailed flier" , "mimic" , "Australian pheasant" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.