OSRS Birdhouse Guide

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers countless ways to train your skills efficiently, and one of the most relaxing yet profitable methods is birdhouse runs. This unique mechanic combines Hunter and Crafting training while providing a steady stream of bird nests, seeds, and valuable OSRS gold — all with minimal effort. Whether you’re a new player looking for passive XP or a veteran chasing efficiency, learning how to perform birdhouse runs properly is absolutely worth it.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about birdhouses in OSRS — from requirements and locations to setup, XP rates, and tips to maximize your profits.

What Are Birdhouses in OSRS?

Birdhouses are special traps you can place on Fossil Island to passively catch birds while you go about your other activities. Unlike most Hunter training methods, you don’t have to be actively involved in setting traps and checking them constantly. Instead, you simply set up the birdhouses, fill them with seeds, and wait 50 minutes for them to complete. Afterward, you’ll collect rewards and XP.

Essentially, birdhouses are a semi-AFK Hunter method that also yields good Crafting experience and a chance to earn profitable items like bird nests and tree seeds.

Requirements for Birdhouse Runs

Before you can start doing birdhouse runs, you’ll need to meet several requirements related to quests, skills, and items.

1. Access to Fossil Island

You must complete the quest Bone Voyage to unlock Fossil Island. This is non-negotiable, as all birdhouse spots are located there. To start Bone Voyage, you’ll also need:

Completion of The Dig Site quest

Level 100 kudos with the Varrock Museum

2. Hunter and Crafting Levels

Your Hunter and Crafting levels determine which birdhouses you can use. The higher your levels, the better birdhouses you can craft, and the more XP and rewards you’ll earn.

Here’s a simple breakdown (no table version):

Normal Birdhouse – Requires level 5 Hunter and 5 Crafting.

Oak Birdhouse – Requires level 14 Hunter and 14 Crafting.

Willow Birdhouse – Requires level 24 Hunter and 24 Crafting.

Teak Birdhouse – Requires level 34 Hunter and 34 Crafting.

Maple Birdhouse – Requires level 44 Hunter and 44 Crafting.

Mahogany Birdhouse – Requires level 49 Hunter and 49 Crafting.

Yew Birdhouse – Requires level 59 Hunter and 59 Crafting.

Magic Birdhouse – Requires level 74 Hunter and 74 Crafting.

Redwood Birdhouse – Requires level 89 Hunter and 89 Crafting.

You should always aim to use the highest birdhouse you can make for maximum experience and loot.

3. Materials Needed

For each birdhouse run, you’ll need:

4 Logs of the same type (matching the birdhouse you want to make)

4 Clockworks

Around 40 seeds to fill the birdhouses (any low-tier seeds work fine)

Clockworks can be made using a Crafting bench 2 or higher inside a player-owned house. You’ll need a piece of steel bar for each clockwork.

Getting to Fossil Island

Once you’ve completed Bone Voyage, getting to Fossil Island becomes very convenient. The most common way is via the Digsite Pendant teleport. This item teleports you directly to the Fossil Island Digsite Camp, which is close to the birdhouse locations.

You can unlock this teleport by completing the Fossil Island Museum miniquest, after which the pendant gains an additional teleport option directly to Fossil Island.

If you don’t have a Digsite Pendant, you can take the boat from the Digsite to Fossil Island, but that’s much slower.

Birdhouse Locations

There are four birdhouse spots located on Fossil Island:

South Mushroom Forest – The southernmost location.

Verdant Valley – Found in the central part of the island.

Tar Swamp – A bit tricky due to swamp terrain but still accessible.

North Mushroom Forest – The northernmost location, near the birdhouse run completion area.

The easiest route for birdhouse runs starts from the Digsite Pendant teleport to Fossil Island, followed by a quick run through all four spots in a clockwise loop.

If you’ve unlocked the Magic Mushtree teleports on Fossil Island, you can make your runs even faster by teleporting directly near birdhouse spots.

How to Set Up a Birdhouse Run

Performing a birdhouse run is simple once you know the routine. Here’s how to do it step by step:

Teleport to Fossil Island using your Digsite Pendant.

Run to the first birdhouse location and check any existing birdhouse there.

Collect the loot from the previous run — this gives you Hunter XP and various items.

Craft a new birdhouse using your logs and clockwork on the same tile.

Fill it with seeds to activate the trap.

Repeat this process for all four birdhouse spots.

Once all four are set up, simply wait about 50 minutes before returning to collect your rewards. You can do other in-game activities or log out in the meantime.

Rewards and Profit

Birdhouses provide two main benefits: Hunter experience and loot.

For XP, you can expect roughly 25,000–35,000 Hunter XP per day if you do your runs regularly. Crafting XP is relatively minor but still adds up over time, especially at higher tiers.

The loot comes mainly from bird nests. These nests contain rings, seeds, and occasionally bird eggs. Tree seeds — like yew, magic, or redwood — can sell for thousands of coins each, making birdhouse runs quite profitable.

On average, you can expect to earn 400k–800k GP per week from consistent runs, depending on your tier of birdhouses and luck with seed drops.

Useful Tips for Efficient Birdhouse Runs

Use a Digsite Pendant (Fossil Island) teleport for quick access.

Carry a ring of returning or teleport to house for a quick exit.

Stockpile clockworks in advance so you don’t have to make them often.

Use cheap seeds like barley or hop seeds; the seed type doesn’t affect XP or loot.

Unlock Mushtree teleport system on Fossil Island for faster runs.

Set a 50-minute timer to remind yourself when to return.

If you’re training Hunter passively alongside other activities (like farming or skilling), you can easily integrate birdhouse runs into your daily routine.

XP and Profit Scaling with Birdhouse Tiers

As you progress through higher tiers of birdhouses, both the XP and loot quality increase significantly. For instance, switching from Willow to Magic birdhouses can double your experience per run and drastically improve the seed drops.

Each upgrade gives you a reason to keep pushing your Crafting and Hunter levels higher. By the time you unlock Redwood birdhouses, you’ll be earning some of the best passive XP in the game with very little effort.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to bring seeds — without seeds, your birdhouses won’t activate.

Using the wrong log type — make sure the logs match the birdhouse tier you want.

Not collecting old birdhouses before setting new ones — this prevents the new traps from being placed.

Skipping Fossil Island teleport unlocks — you’ll waste a lot of time running otherwise.

These small oversights can make runs take longer than they should, so always double-check your inventory before heading out.

Why You Should Do Birdhouse Runs

Birdhouse runs are one of the most efficient and relaxing ways to train Hunter in OSRS. They require minimal attention, give solid XP, and are profitable enough to pay for supplies and more. Whether you’re working toward level 99 Hunter or just want a daily routine that earns you passive rewards, birdhouse runs are absolutely worth incorporating into your gameplay.

They also pair well with other daily activities like farm runs, kingdom management, or slayer tasks. By adding birdhouse runs into your regular loop, you’re optimizing your time and earning consistent XP and GP with ease.

Final Thoughts

The OSRS birdhouse system is a perfect example of RuneScape’s ability to reward players for long-term, consistent effort. It’s not a fast-paced or flashy training method, but it’s one of the most reliable and rewarding ones available. Once you’ve unlocked Fossil Island and set up a smooth routine, birdhouse runs become an effortless source of experience and profit that grows with your account’s progression.

If you’re looking for OSRS GP for sale, high-efficiency activity that makes the most of your time in Gielinor, then birdhouse runs should absolutely be part of your OSRS daily schedule.