Crossword Genius

Bird back around a village in Africa (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

kraal

'village in africa' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'bird back around a' is the wordplay.
'bird' becomes 'lark' (lark is a kind of bird).
'back' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'around' indicates putting letters inside.
'lark' written backwards gives 'kral'.
'kral' going around 'a' is 'KRAAL'.

(Other definitions for kraal that I've seen before include "South African village" , "African hut village" , "village community" , "Fenced settlement" , "Traditional African village" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.