Crossword Genius

Screech of curlew at a cuckoo (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

caterwaul

'screech' is the definition.
(caterwauling is a kind of screeching)

'curlew at a cuckoo' is the wordplay.
'cuckoo' indicates anagramming the letters.
'curlew'+'at'+'a'='curlewata'
'curlewata' anagrammed gives 'CATERWAUL'.

'of' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for caterwaul that I've seen before include "Howl like a feline" , "Howl like cat" , "Sound of moggy" , "howl unpleasantly" , "Sound catty" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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