Nicer as a construction for birds (8)
I believe the answer is:
canaries
'birds' is the definition.
(canary is a kind of bird)
'nicer as a construction' is the wordplay.
'construction' indicates an anagram (answer constructed from certain letters).
'nicer'+'as'+'a'='nicerasa'
'nicerasa' anagrammed gives 'CANARIES'.
'for' is the link.
(Other definitions for canaries that I've seen before include "Mediterranean islands and yellow birds" , "The birds forewarn of danger in the mines" , "Group of islands in the Atlantic" , "The birds can arise" , "Atlantic islands - cagebirds" .)