Crossword Genius

There's a cuckoo circling high to find flower (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

euphrates

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

'flower' is the definition.
(Euphrates is an example)

'there's a cuckoo circling high' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'a' is within the answer.
'high' could be 'up' (associated in meaning) and 'up' is present in the answer.
an anagram of 'there' is 'ehrte' which is present in the remaining letters.
A single letter 's' remains which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'to find' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for euphrates that I've seen before include "River of Babylon" , "running water in Iraq" , "River flowing through Turkey, Syria and Iraq" , "running water in SW Asia" , "Asian river" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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