What does the cryptic crossword clue "Bird had to protect its home in national property (5,6)" mean?

The definition is "national property". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). CROW (synonym="‘bird’") + NEST (synonym="‘its home’") + ATE (synonym="‘had’") = CROWNESTATE; definition: "national property" The answer is CROWNESTATE.

Bird had to protect its home in national property (5,6)

Guardian Cryptic #29334 | 12 Down | 2024-03-19 flower

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