Mocking bird with tips of tail blue or tawny (8)
I believe the answer is:
raillery
'mocking bird with tips of tail blue or tawny' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.
'bird with tips of tail blue or tawny' is the wordplay.
'bird' becomes 'rail' (a wading bird).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'tips of' says to take the final letters (I've seen 'tip of' mean this).
The final letters of 'tail blue or tawny' are 'lery'.
'rail'+'lery'='RAILLERY'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for raillery that I've seen before include "Banter, back-chat" , "Light teasing repartee" , "(Example of) banter" , "Good-humoured teasing" , "Badinage" .)