Bird from east with legs aloft (5)
I believe the answer is:
snipe
'bird' is the definition.
(snipe is a kind of bird)
'east with legs aloft' is the wordplay.
'east' becomes 'e' ('E' can be a synonym of 'east').
'with' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'legs' becomes 'pins' (pin is a kind of leg).
'aloft' says the letters should be written backwards.
'pins' backwards is 'snip'.
'e' after 'snip' is 'SNIPE'.
'from' is the link.
(Other definitions for snipe that I've seen before include "Pines like wading bird" , "Shoot; birds" , "Fire from cover; bird" , "The bird to shoot from cover" , "river bird" .)