Ape cavorting with female bird, one that belongs to the pheasant family (7)
I believe the answer is:
peafowl
'ape cavorting with female bird one that belongs to the pheasant family' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both animals as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'ape cavorting with female bird' is the wordplay.
'cavorting with' is an anagram indicator.
'female' becomes 'f' (common abbreviation).
'bird' becomes 'owl' (owl is a kind of bird).
'ape' anagrammed with 'f' makes 'peaf'.
'peaf'+'owl'='PEAFOWL'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for peafowl that I've seen before include "Peacock or peahen" , "Large crested pheasant" , "Pheasant with fan-like tail" , "Ape, wolf (anag.)" , "Large female bird" .)