Bird taps branch, removing tip (6)
I believe the answer is:
chough
'bird' is the definition.
(type of bird)
'taps branch removing tip' is the wordplay.
'taps' becomes 'ch' (cold and hot taps).
'branch' becomes 'bough' (bough is a kind of branch).
'removing tip' means to remove the first letter (one tip of the word is removed).
'bough' with its initial letter taken off is 'ough'.
'ch'+'ough'='CHOUGH'
(Other definitions for chough that I've seen before include "Black bird on Cornish coat of arms" , "Bird of the crow family" , "Crow-like bird of cliffs and mountains" , "singer" .)