How to Tame Birds in Crimson Desert

Patch 1.04 added a completely new pet type to the game – birds. Unlike cats and dogs, you don’t feed them on the ground or pet them by hand. Instead, you need to unlock a special item called the Sotdae of Bond, place it down like a bird feeder, load it with food, and wait for birds to land and eat. It’s a passive system that’s actually faster than taming cats or dogs once you know the setup. If you want to tame birds in Crimson Desert, here’s everything you need to know – from unlocking the Sotdae to grabbing the legendary Phoenix.

How to Get the Sotdae of Bond

Before you can tame birds in Crimson Desert, you need the Sotdae of Bond – a carved wooden perch that acts as a bird feeder. You can’t buy it from a shop. It’s tied to a faction quest, and the exact way you get it depends on how far you’ve progressed.

If you haven’t unlocked Pororin Village yet, you’ll need to complete the “Authorized Access” section of the Trembling Woods faction quest for the Pororin Forest Guardians. This is the same quest chain that unlocks access to Florindale and Pororin Village itself:

1. Head to the Pororin Forest area.

Pororin village is southeast of the Hernand Highlands. Try to enter the village and the Shai guardians will knock you out with sleep powder.

2. Get knocked out three times.

Go back each time. After the third knockout, a Shai named Arkin will call out from a nearby tree.

3. Complete Arkin’s quest.

He’ll ask you to retrieve the Pororin Relic from a giant walking Ent in the Trembling Gorge. Climb to the top of its head to grab the relic. The Ent walks clockwise, so go the other way to find it faster.

4. Return the relic to Arkin.

This unlocks permanent access to Pororin Village and grants you the Sotdae of Bond.

If you’ve already completed this quest before the 1.04 patch, the Sotdae of Bond was automatically added to your Private Storage at the Howling Hill camp. Check there first – it may also appear as a login reward depending on your progress. If you can’t find it, speak with Carl at the Greymane Camp and check his “Recover Items” menu. You can buy it back for 1 Silver.

If you want to learn more about unlocking Pororin Village and everything inside it, check out our how to tame cats in Crimson Desert guide, which covers the full quest chain and the cat breeds you’ll find there.

How to Tame Birds in Crimson Desert Step by Step

Once you have the Sotdae of Bond, the taming process is straightforward. It works completely differently from cats and dogs – there’s no petting, no carrying, and no dropping food on the ground. It’s all done through the perch.

1. Equip the Sotdae of Bond.

Open your inventory and select it. If you’ve auto-grouped your inventory, you’ll find it grouped with your gathering tools.

2. Place it on the ground.

Hold Ctrl + R on keyboard, LB + Y on Xbox controller, or L1 + Triangle on PlayStation. Aim at a clear, open outdoor area and place it down.

3. Load it with food.

Interact with the placed Sotdae and add food items into the bowl. You can load multiple food types at once – the perch holds a large amount and keeps food between uses. Different food attracts different birds, so loading a variety is a good idea if you’re not targeting a specific species.

4. Step back and wait.

Move a short distance away from the perch and stay still. Birds will fly down and land on the Sotdae after a short time. Moving too much or standing too close can scare them off.

5. Let the bird eat.

Trust builds passively as the bird feeds. If you’ve loaded the bird’s favorite food, trust grows by up to +35 per eat, which is faster than the standard +10 you get feeding cats and dogs. Some birds will hit 100 trust in a single feeding session, while others need multiple cycles.

6. Claim the Pet.

Once the trust meter hits 100, approach the bird on the perch and select “Take In” to claim it as your pet. Don’t forget to pick up your Sotdae afterward – if you leave it behind, Carl at the Greymane Camp will recover it for you, but you’ll need to buy it back for 1 Silver.

Best Food for Each Bird Type

The type of bird that lands on your Sotdae depends on two things: the region you’re in and the food you’ve loaded. Each bird has a favorite food that gives the maximum +35 trust per eat, while non-favorite food gives less. Here’s the general breakdown:

• Small birds (Sparrow, Blue Jay, Pigeon, Parrot, Collared Dove, Long-Tailed Tit): Prefer grains, seeds, fruits, and insects. These are the easiest to tame since their food is cheap and widely available from grocers. Blue Jays and Parrots in particular are common in Hernand and Pororin.
• Medium birds (Crow, Hawk, Eastern Sparrowhawk, Cuckoo, Red-Footed Falcon): Prefer insects and meat. Crows are one of the easiest birds to start with – they show up in most low-lying outdoor areas near rivers and camps. Hawks tend to spawn around cliff edges and higher terrain.
• Large birds (Eagle, Condor, Steppe Eagle, Gyrfalcon): Prefer meat and fish. These spawn in mountain regions and higher terrain. You’ll need to place the Sotdae on cliff edges or elevated ground to attract them.
• Water birds (Seagull, Yellow-Billed Loon, Smew, Common Tern, Kentish Plover, Goose, Desert Goose): Prefer fish and insects. Place the Sotdae near coastlines, rivers, and ports. Demeniss Port is a reliable spot for Seagulls.
• Owl: Prefers meat (Tough Meat, Lean Meat, or Fine Meat work best). The Owl is a nighttime-only spawn – set up your Sotdae around 4 AM in-game time for the best chance. Found in the Delesyia region on cliff edges and elevated forest borders. Also spotted near Scholastone Institute in Hernand and Three-Brothers’ Cliff in Delesyia.
• Desert birds (Sand Grouse, Desert Goose): Prefer insects. Exclusive to The Crimson Desert region.
• Exotic parrots (Eclectus Parrot, Sun Conure, Grey Parrot, Little Blue Macaw, Ringneck Parrot, Citron-Crested Cockatoo): Prefer fruits and seeds. Found in later regions.

The best general strategy is to load multiple food types into the Sotdae at once – grains, meat, insects, and fish together. This maximizes the variety of birds that will visit and saves you from having to swap food constantly. You can always focus on a single food type later when you’re targeting a specific rare bird.

Best Locations to Tame Birds in Crimson Desert

Where you place the Sotdae matters just as much as what food you use. Birds are tied to specific regions and terrain types, so moving your perch to a new area completely changes what shows up. Here are the best spots to tame birds in Crimson Desert:

• Hernand / Greymane Camp: The best starting area for bird taming. Place the Sotdae at the Greymane Camp cliff edge or near rivers for Crows, Sparrows, Blue Jays, and Hawks. This is the single best farming spot for multiple early birds in one location.
• Pororin Village / Florindale: Great for Sparrows and Parrots. The open areas around the village attract smaller birds consistently. If you’re already there taming cats, set up a Sotdae while you’re at it.
• Demeniss Port / Riverbanks: The go-to spot for Seagulls and Crows. Place the Sotdae near water and load it with fish, meat, or insects.
• Mountain regions / Cliff edges: For Eagles, Sparrowhawks, and Condors. Higher terrain attracts larger birds. The Goldleaf Guildhouse area in Hernand is another confirmed Hawk spawn.
• Pailune / Sanctum of Absolution: Good for Condors and other large birds.
• Delesyia region (nighttime): The best region for Owls. Try cliff edges south of Scholastone Institute or Three-Brothers’ Cliff. Set up around 4 AM in-game time.
• The Crimson Desert region / Trader’s Expanse: Where you’ll find Desert Goose, Sand Grouse, Pigeons, and the legendary Phoenix. This is the only region for desert-exclusive birds.

All Bird Breeds to Tame in Crimson Desert

There are over 30 bird breeds to collect, making birds the largest pet category in the game. All birds function identically once tamed – same auto-looting behavior – so it’s purely about collecting and aesthetics. Here’s the full confirmed list:

• Common birds: Sparrow, Crow, Blue Jay, Pigeon (2 variants), Parrot (2 variants), Collared Dove, Long-Tailed Tit, Meadow Bunting, Cuckoo

• Birds of prey: Hawk, Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Gyrfalcon, Red-Footed Falcon, Eastern Sparrowhawk, Condor

• Water birds: Seagull (2 variants), Goose, Yellow-Billed Loon (2 variants), Smew, Common Tern, Kentish Plover

• Exotic parrots: Eclectus Parrot, Sun Conure, Grey Parrot, Little Blue Macaw, Ringneck Parrot, Citron-Crested Cockatoo

• Night bird: Owl

• Desert birds: Desert Goose, Sand Grouse

• Legendary: Phoenix

Many breeds have multiple color variants, and some are only found in specific regions. Birds you tame count toward your 30-pet roster alongside dogs and cats, and toward the Natural Collector trophy. With over 30 bird breeds alone, the pet cap fills fast if you’re collecting everything – so if your main goal is to tame birds in Crimson Desert for the trophy, plan your roster carefully and prioritize unique breeds over color variants.

What Bird Pets Do in Crimson Desert

Bird pets work the same way as Crimson Desert pets in general – they automatically loot items from dead enemies and resource nodes after combat. The main differences come down to behavior and equipment:

• Birds perch on Kliff’s arm when you stand still, similar to how cats climb on your shoulder. Large birds like Eagles look particularly impressive.
• No pet armor. Unlike dogs and cats, birds can’t wear cosmetic armor from pet tailor shops. They do still have the new accessory/collar slot added in 1.04.
• Less despawning. Birds fly over obstacles and alongside you, so they despawn way less frequently than ground pets that can get stuck on terrain.
• No combat. Birds don’t attack enemies, same as all other pets.

One known quirk: large birds like Eagles can look a bit janky when Kliff is moving, since they awkwardly wait mid-air for you to stop so they can land back on your arm. The community is hoping Pearl Abyss polishes this animation in a future patch.

More Crimson Desert Resources

For a full breakdown on dogs, cats, and the trust system, check out our Complete Crimson Desert Pets Guide, and if you’re specifically after cats, our How to Tame Cats in Crimson Desert guide covers the Golden Carp trick, all breeds, and Pororin Village. Find bird spawn locations and Sotdae placement spots on our Crimson Desert Interactive Map, and browse all of our walkthroughs on the Crimson Desert Guides page. Stay up to date with the latest gaming guides on MetaForge and join our Discord community to share your bird collections and discuss Crimson Desert!