How to Do a Birdhouse Run in OSRS – Ultimate Guide for Passive Hunter XP

Birdhouse runs in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) are a fantastic way to train your Hunter skill passively while earning valuable loot like bird nests and seeds. Perfect for casual players and Ironmen alike, this method takes less than two minutes per run and delivers steady experience and profit with minimal effort. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to master birdhouse runs, from requirements to the most efficient route, ensuring you maximize your gains.

Birdhouse runs are a low-effort, high-reward activity that fits seamlessly into any OSRS schedule. Whether you’re grinding other skills or just logging in briefly, these runs provide passive Hunter XP and loot every 50 minutes. They’re especially valuable for Ironmen needing bird nests for Herblore or seeds for Farming. Plus, the setup is straightforward, and the rewards scale with your Hunter level, making it a long-term investment.

Key Benefits of Birdhouse Runs

• Passive XP: Gain Hunter experience without active training.
• Profit Potential: Bird nests can yield seeds worth thousands of GP, like maple or yew seeds.
• Time Efficiency: Each run takes under 2 minutes, perfect for busy players.
• Ironman-Friendly: Provides nests for Saradomin brews and seeds for Farming.

Requirements for Birdhouse Runs

Before you start, you’ll need to meet a few requirements to access Fossil Island and set up birdhouses. While the base setup is accessible to low-level players, higher levels unlock better rewards.

Quests and Skills Needed

• Bone Voyage Quest: Unlocks Fossil Island, requiring 100 Kudos (earned via Varrock Museum activities) and completion of The Dig Site quest.
• Hunter Level: Minimum 5 to place basic birdhouses, with higher tiers requiring up to 89 for redwood birdhouses.
• Crafting Level: Minimum 5 to craft basic birdhouses, scaling to 90 for redwood.

Items Required

Here’s what you’ll need for a typical birdhouse run:

• 4 Logs: Match your Hunter/Crafting level (e.g., regular logs for level 5, oak for 14/15).
• 4 Clockworks: Crafted in a Player-Owned House (POH) at level 8 Crafting or bought from the Grand Exchange.
• Hammer and Chisel: For crafting birdhouses (Imcando hammer saves an inventory slot).
• 40 Hop Seeds: Cheapest options like barley or hammerstone work fine; 10 seeds per birdhouse.
• Digsite Pendant: For quick Fossil Island teleports (unlocked via Varrock Museum’s clean necklace).

Optional but Helpful Items

• Hunter Potion: Boosts Hunter by +3 to place higher-tier birdhouses or improve nest odds.
• Strung Rabbit Foot: Increases ring/egg nest drops by ~5%.
• Pestle and Mortar: Crush nests on the go for Saradomin brew materials.
• Weight-Reducing Gear: Graceful set or boots of lightness for faster running.

Step-by-Step Guide to a Birdhouse Run

Once you’ve gathered your items and unlocked Fossil Island, you’re ready to start. Follow this efficient route to set up and collect from all four birdhouses in under two minutes.

Step 1: Prepare Your Inventory

Before teleporting, ensure you have:

• 4 logs (or pre-crafted birdhouses).
• 4 clockworks.
• Hammer, chisel, and 40 hop seeds.
• Digsite pendant for teleporting.

Pro tip: Craft birdhouses while running between spots to save time.

Step 2: Teleport to Fossil Island

Use your digsite pendant to teleport to the House on the Hill. This drops you near the magic mushtree, your hub for fast travel across Fossil Island.

Step 3: Verdant Valley Birdhouses

1. From the teleport, use the magic mushtree to travel to Verdant Valley.
2. Run east to the northern birdhouse spot, craft a birdhouse (use log on clockwork), place it, and add 10 seeds.
3. Head southwest to the southern birdhouse spot, repeat the process.

Step 4: Mushroom Meadow and Tar Swamp

1. Return to the mushtree and teleport to Mushroom Meadow.
2. Run north to the third birdhouse spot, craft, place, and seed it.
3. Run south to the Tar Swamp entrance for the fourth birdhouse, repeat the setup.

Step 5: Wait and Collect

After setting up all four birdhouses, wait ~50 minutes for them to fill with birds. Return to Fossil Island, follow the same route, and right-click to “empty” each birdhouse. You’ll get your clockwork back, plus loot like nests, feathers, and raw bird meat.

Step 6: Repeat for Maximum Gains

Bring extra logs and seeds to reset birdhouses immediately after collecting. For consecutive runs, log out near the Tar Swamp birdhouse to skip the long run south next time.

Birdhouse Tiers and Rewards

The type of birdhouse you use determines your XP and loot potential. Higher tiers require better logs and higher skill levels but offer more nests and experience.

Birdhouse Tier Table

Birdhouse Type	Hunter Level	Crafting Level	Hunter XP per Run (4 Birdhouses)	Crafting XP per Run
Regular	5	5	1120	60
Oak	14	15	1680	80
Willow	24	25	2240	100
Teak	34	35	2800	120
Maple	44	45	3280	140
Mahogany	49	50	3840	160
Yew	59	60	4080	180
Magic	74	75	4560	200
Redwood	89	90	4800	220

Note: Use the highest-tier birdhouse your levels allow to maximize XP and nest drops. Seed type doesn’t affect rewards, so stick with cheap hop seeds.

Loot Breakdown

Each birdhouse yields:

• 1 Seed Nest: Contains tree/fruit seeds (e.g., maple, yew, or rare dragonfruit).
• Up to 10 Additional Nests: Empty, ring, egg, or rare clue nests (odds improve with Hunter level and tier).
• Feathers and Raw Bird Meat: Minor profit or Cooking XP.

Wearing a strung rabbit foot boosts ring/egg nest drops slightly, and crushing nests with a pestle and mortar increases their value for Herblore.

Tips for Optimizing Your Birdhouse Runs

Small tweaks can make your runs faster and more profitable. Here are some pro tips to elevate your efficiency.

Maximize Efficiency

• Craft While Moving: Make birdhouses between spots to save seconds.
• Sync with Farm Runs: Do birdhouse runs alongside herb or tree runs for combined XP.
• Stockpile Seeds: Buy 800-1000 cheap hop seeds (e.g., barley) to avoid frequent banking.
• Use Mushtrees: Unlock all magic mushtree teleports for the fastest route.

Boosting Rewards

• Hunter Potion: Drink before collecting to improve nest odds if your level is low.
• Log Out Strategically: End your session at the Tar Swamp birdhouse for quicker restarts.
• Crush Nests Early: Process nests during runs to save inventory space and prep for Herblore.

Ironman Considerations

Ironmen benefit hugely from birdhouse runs due to the nests and seeds. To optimize:

• Craft clockworks in your POH (requires 25 Construction for Crafting Table 2).
• Pickpocket Master Farmers for hop seeds at 38 Thieving.
• Use seeds from nests for Farming contracts to snowball resources.

Birdhouse runs are a game-changer for passive Hunter training and resource gathering in OSRS. With just a few minutes every hour, you can steadily climb the Hunter ranks and stockpile valuable nests. Start today, follow this guide, and watch your Hunter level soar while your bank grows. Happy hunting!