This OSRS Birdhouse Run Guide contains everything you need to know to get started with Birdhouse Runs. Play OSRS the efficient way and get Passive Hunter Experience while you are offline with Birdhouses!
This Birdhouse Run Guide is part of our OSRS 1 – 99 Hunter Guide.
Why should you do birdhouse runs?
Birdhouse Runs is one of the best hunter training methods that give you PASSIVE Hunter experience while you are doing other activities in the game (or simply sleeping/working IRL). Similar to Farming Runs, birdhouses can be emptied every 50 minutes, giving you a big chunk of experience for doing so. And it takes less than 70 seconds to do a full run!
If you don’t like Training Hunter, Birdhouse Runs are by far the way to go. For my Group Ironman Account, I knocked out 70 Hunter (for Song of the Eleves) through birdhouses alone! And it went by SUPER FAST.
Especially when compared with herb farm running, doing a couple of birdhouse runs a day (or even just one) will MASSIVELY boost your hunter level over time.
Birdhouse Run Requirements
To do Birdhouse runs, you need to unlock Fossil Island, which is locked behind the Bone Voyage quest.
For efficiency’s sake, you will also need a Digsite Pendant to get to Fossil Island quickly.
If you don’t have a Digsite Pendant yet, check out our Digsite Pendant Guide first.
How to get to Fossil Island
The only place where you can build Bird Houses is on Fossil Island.
The best way to get to Fossil Island is to use a Digsite Pendant. Other ways include:
- Taking the boat at the Digsite
- Using someone else’s Digsite Pendant in their P-O-H
For more info, check out: How to get to Fossil Island.
How to make Birdhouses
Regular accounts don’t need to craft birdhouses and can purchase them directly from the Grand Exchange.
This prevents you from needing the crafting level required to make the birdhouses in the first place.
Which Bird House you use, will depend on your Hunter level.
How to Craft Birdhouses
You can craft Birdhouses by using a Clockwork on a log (Yew log to make Yew Birdhouse) while having a hammer and chisel in your inventory.
Which birdhouse you craft, will depend on your HUNTER and CRAFTING level.
| Bird House | Crafting Level | Hunter Level |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Bird House | 5 | 5 |
| Oak Bird House | 15 | 14 |
| Willow Bird House | 25 | 24 |
| Teak Bird House | 35 | 34 |
| Maple Bird House | 45 | 44 |
| Mahogany Bird House | 50 | 49 |
| Yew Bird House | 60 | 59 |
| Magic Bird House | 75 | 74 |
| Redwood Bird House | 90 | 89 |
The Clockwork can be obtained by purchasing it from the Grand Exchange as a regular account.
How to Craft Birdhouses (as an Ironman account)
As an IRONMAN, you will need to get 25 Construction first, which allows you to build a Crafting Table 2 inside the Workshop of your P-O-H.
How to make Clockwork in your P-O-H:
- First purchase a workshop space (10K)
- Then build a crafting table 1 (4 Oak Planks + Saw & Hammer)
- Then upgrade crafting table 1 to crafting table 2 (1 molton glass)
- And finally, you can make clockwork in your P-O-H from steel bars
Birdhouse Run Essentials
Unlock these before or during your first birdhouse run.
Unlock the Fossil Island Teleport on your Digsite Pendant
This teleports you directly to House on the Hill in Fossil Island.
You can easily unlock this teleportation method by visiting the House on the Hill first
and using a Digsite Pendant on the Strange Machine.
Unlocking Verdant Valley and Mushroom Meadow
From Fossil Island, you can use the Mushtree to easily teleport to the following Birdhouse spots:
- Verdant Valley
- Mushroom Meadow
If you haven’t already, you will need to unlock the Verdant Valley and Mushroom Meadow locations first.
To unlock these locations, you will have to run to each location and click on the Mushtree to activate them.
OSRS Birdhouse Run Guide
Follow-along with us as we do a birdhouse run.
Inventory Setup
- 40 HOP seeds (E.G. Hammerstone)
- Hammer & Chisel (to make birdhouses)
- 4 Logs (to make birdhouse) OR 4 birdhouses
- Digsite Pendant (to teleport to Fossil Island)
- Teleportation out
How to do birdhouse runs
First, teleport to Fossil Island using your Digsite Pendant.
Next, use the Mushtree to teleport to Verdant Valley.
(if you haven’t unlocked teleports, scroll back up as we covered it earlier in this guide)
Here you have the first two birdhouse spots.
P.s. If you haven’t built a birdhouse before, these two spots will be empty.
Now craft the birdhouse if you haven’t made them already by using the log on the clockwork.
Then click on the space to build to birdhouse.
And finally, use your seeds on the birdhouse. (Don’t forget!!)
Repeat this process for the second birdhouse in Verdant Valley.
Once you are done, take the Mushtree to Mushroom Meadow.
Here, the two birdhouses are NOT next to each other like in Verdant Valley, and you will have to run a bit.
First, run South for the 3rd birdhouse spot and then run East for the 4th and final birdhouse spot.
Once you have built all 4 birdhouses, you have to wait 50 minutes to do your next birdhouse run.
On your next run, bring the same inventory:
- 4 logs (or 4 birdhouses depending on your strategy)
- 40 Hop seeds (E.g. Hammerstone)
- Hammer and Chisel (only if you are crafting the birdhouses yourself)
You don’t need to bring clockwork as you will get those back when you empty your birdhouses.
Now repeat this process daily until you have 99 Hunter ;).
Birdhouse Runs EXP Rates
Here are the hourly experience rates you can expect from birdhouse runs.
| Bird House | Exp Rates |
|---|---|
| Oak Bird House | 50K EXP/hr |
| Willow Bird House | 75K EXP/hr |
| Teak Bird House | 125K EXP/hr |
| Maple Bird House | 150K EXP/hr |
| Mahogany Bird House | 175K EXP/hr |
| Yew Bird House | 185K EXP/hr |
| Magic Bird House | 200K EXP/hr |
| Redwood Bird House | 225K EXP/hr |
Keep in mind these Experience Rates aren’t actually achievable in game since it takes 50 minutes for your birdhouses to finish. These calculations are based on roughly 30 – 40 runs which would take 60 minutes of your time.
Birdhouse runs – FAQs
How often can you do birdhouse runs?
Birdhouses take about 50 minutes to finish, meaning you can do a birdhouse run approximately every 50 minutes.
Do higher-tier birdhouses offer more nests?
Yes, Higher tier birdhouses offer more nests. Always build the highest birdhouse your Hunter level allows if you want to collect bird nests.
Are birdhouses worth it?
Birdhouses come with requirements which is why some players might not want to unlock it. However, since they offer a massive amount of passive experience, birdhouse runs are 100% worth the effort it takes to unlock them. Especially for ironman accounts who will need the bird’s nests to create Saradomin Brews.
