How do I solve 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31239?

Question

Accepted Answer

26 across reads "Female water bird is vulnerable" (5 letters); the answer is FRAIL. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Female water bird is vulnerable (5)

26A — Female water bird is vulnerable (5) — FRAIL