Wise bird?
Latest answer — August 30, 2026
16 Across
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Clue explained
An owl is the “wise bird” because wisdom is conventionally associated with owls, especially in stories and imagery. The question mark signals this playful association rather than a scientific description.
- Clue type:
- Pun or wordplay
Telegraph Quick Crossword
This clue's Sunday, August 30, 2026 appearance
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Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Kind of bird — Answer: JAY. Hint: A colorful, noisy member of the crow family. 🐦
- 3. Side of the road — Answer: KERB. Hint: The raised edge separating pavement from the street. 🚶
- 5. African country — Answer: MALI. Hint: A landlocked nation in West Africa. 🌍
- 8. Braggart — Answer: BIGMOUTH. Hint: Someone who boasts loudly about themselves. 📣
- 10. Grass — Answer: LAWN. Hint: A neatly trimmed patch of green around a home. 🌱
- 11. Glide over snow — Answer: SKI. Hint: Travel across snowy slopes using narrow boards. 🎿
- 13. Alternative — Answer: OTHER. Hint: A different choice or possibility. 🔀
- 14. Shoeshiner — Answer: BOOTBLACK. Hint: Someone who polishes footwear for a living. 👞
- 16. Wise bird? — Answer: OWL. Hint: This nocturnal bird is famously linked with wisdom. 🦉
- 17. Guy — Answer: MAN. Hint: A casual term for an adult male. 👨
- 19. Robin — Answer: REDBREAST. Hint: A familiar garden bird named for its bright chest. 🐦
- 21. Stopwatch, e.g. — Answer: TIMER. Hint: It measures how long an activity lasts. ⏱️
- 22. Tack on — Answer: ADD. Hint: Give it a little extra at the end ✨
- 24. Forget — Answer: OMIT. Hint: To leave something out, intentionally or accidentally. 🚫
- 25. Seed in hummus — Answer: CHICKPEA. Hint: This legume is blended into classic hummus. 🫘
- 26. Dip e.g. a biscuit — Answer: DUNK. Hint: Give a cookie a quick swim in your tea. 🍪
- 27. Small nail — Answer: BRAD. Hint: A tiny fastener used in woodworking or crafts. 🔨
- 28. Before — Answer: ERE. Hint: A poetic way to say “in the past.” ⏳
Down
- 1. Posts — Answer: JOBS. Hint: They can be positions or assignments. 💼
- 2. Master of a Hindu discipline — Answer: YOGI. Hint: A practitioner of a meditative spiritual practice. 🧘
- 3. Australian bird — Answer: KOOKABURRA. Hint: This Australian bird is famous for a laugh-like call. 🐦
- 4. Eye part — Answer: RETINA. Hint: This light-sensitive layer lines the back of the eye. 👁️
- 6. Abhorred thing — Answer: ANATHEMA. Hint: Something intensely hated or detested. 🤢
- 7. Unaware — Answer: IGNORANT. Hint: Lacking knowledge or awareness of a fact. 🤷
- 9. You don't need to tell me! — Answer: IKNOW. Hint: A confident conversational reply when the information is already clear. 💬
- 12. Giving nothing away — Answer: POKERFACED. Hint: A person with this expression reveals no reaction. 😐
- 14. Amount held on a vessel — Answer: BOATLOAD. Hint: A ship can carry this large quantity of cargo. 🚢
- 15. Zeus?; athlete — Answer: OLYMPIAN. Hint: This person could hail from Mount Olympus or compete in the Games. 🏛️
- 18. Stage whisper — Answer: ASIDE. Hint: A quiet remark meant for the audience rather than other characters. 🎭
- 20. Hesitate — Answer: DITHER. Hint: Waver indecisively instead of choosing. 🤔
- 22. Church area — Answer: APSE. Hint: This rounded section is often near the altar. ⛪
- 23. Rendezvous — Answer: DATE. Hint: A planned meeting, often with romantic potential. 💕
The answer to “Wise bird?” in the The Telegraph Quick crossword is OWL — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Quick crossword on August 30, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 16-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.
“Wise bird?” answer
OWL (3 letters)
Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is OWL.
What does OWL mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of OWL is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(noun)
- a nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes, a facial disc, a hooked beak, and typically a loud hooting call
When else has “Wise bird?” appeared?
The Telegraph Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.
August 30, 2026 (most recent) → OWL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “Wise bird?”?
The answer is OWL, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Quick crossword on August 30, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Wise bird?”?
3 letters: OWL.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the The Telegraph Quick crossword on August 30, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 16-Across.
Can “Wise bird?” have a different answer?
Yes — The Telegraph Quick sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.
Where can I find the rest of this day's Telegraph Quick answers?
The full grid for August 30, 2026 is on the Telegraph Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.
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