Exotic eagle in descent (7)
I believe the answer is:
lineage
'descent' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'exotic eagle in' is the wordplay.
'exotic' indicates an anagram.
'eagle'+'in'='eaglein'
'eaglein' anagrammed gives 'LINEAGE'.
(Other definitions for lineage that I've seen before include "Family descent" , "Direct descent" , "Ancestral line as seen in eagle" , "Descent (from an ancestor)" , "Old family members" .)