Crossword Genius

Bird, small, looking pale (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

swan

'bird' is the definition.
(I know that swan is a type of aquatic bird)

'small looking pale' is the wordplay.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'looking pale' becomes 'wan' (I've seen this in another clue).
's'+'wan'='SWAN'

(Other definitions for swan that I've seen before include "Large waterbird" , "Sweet name 8 [OF SHAKESPEARE]" , "Cob - pen" , "Large, web-footed bird" , "Large, long-necked bird" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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