Feathered friends (5)
I believe the answer is:
birds
'feathered friends' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for birds that I've seen before include "eg Thrushes" , "4th" , "... strictly receivers of rubbish" , "Terns and tits, say" , "Egg-laying vertebrates" .)