Crossword Genius

Loud bird is cockerel perhaps (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

fowl

'cockerel perhaps' is the definition.
(I know that cockerel is a type of Gallus gallus)

'loud bird' is the wordplay.
'loud' becomes 'f' (short for forte - 'loud' in music).
'bird' becomes 'owl' (owl is a kind of bird).
'f'+'owl'='FOWL'

'is' is the link.

(Other definitions for fowl that I've seen before include "eg Chicken" , "Bird kept for eggs and meat" , "Bird, maybe domestic" , "eg hen" , "Domesticated bird" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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