Crossword Genius

In a good year a bird is a bird (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gyrfalcon

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'bird' is the definition.
(gyrfalcon is a kind of bird)

'in a good year a bird' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'a' is within the answer.
'good' could be 'g' (abbreviation) and 'g' is present in the answer.
'year' could be 'yr' (abbreviation) and 'yr' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'is a' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for gyrfalcon that I've seen before include "Fly, garcon (anag)" , "See rare bird" , "Large bird" , "Making this bird" , "Arctic bird of prey" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.