Wingspan

A birdwatching journal, bird feeders, birdhouses, and a discovery progression system for Vintage Story. Tracks birds from the base game and compatible animal mods.

Birdwatching

Journal

Discover species just by looking at them. Hold your gaze on a bird for a few seconds and it's recorded in your journal — a two-page open book that tracks everything you've found.

• First sighting date, location, and biome
• Observation quality tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Seasons and biomes observed
• Habitat notes, behavioral descriptions, and hints for undiscovered species

Progression & Ranks

Advance through six birdwatcher ranks as you discover more species.

Novice → Beginner → Birdwatcher → Keen Observer → Expert → Master Birder

• Milestones announced at discovery thresholds
• Rare sightings broadcast server-wide

Field Guide

Craftable pocket book that lists species by biome. Right-click to consult in the field.

Life List & Statistics

Searchable checklist of all species, discovered or not. Your journal also tracks detailed stats.

• Total observations and species count
• Rarest find and most-observed species
• Seasonal and biome distribution
• Time-of-day patterns (dawn, day, dusk, night)

World Map

First sightings are pinned as markers on the world map. Filter by species or quality tier.

Blocks & Items

Bird Feeders

Six feeder designs, each craftable in multiple rock types. Fill with feed to attract birds. Shift+right-click to open the activity dashboard.

Feeder	Description
Hanging Tube	Suspended seed feeder
Stone Pedestal	Standing basin
Ground Tray	Low platform
Wall Shelf	Wall-mounted
Double Basin	Twin bowls
Suet Feeder	Fat cake holder

Bird Feed

Five feed types that attract different species.

Feed	Attracts
Basic Seed Mix	Common songbirds
Berry Blend	Fruit-loving species
Premium Mix	All species
Insect Mix	Insectivorous birds
Suet Cake	Winter specialists

Birdhouses

Four nesting box designs. Place them and birds will move in over time, nest for a couple of days, and drop feathers.

Design	Materials
Primitive	Sticks and logs, no tools required
Wooden	Planks and a saw
Clay Pot	Shaped and fired
Hanging Clay	Decorative ceramic

Other Blocks

• Bird Bath — stone basin, fill with a bucket; birds come to drink and bathe
• Ornithology Desk — stationary observation hub for reviewing your data
• Observation Blind — concealment structure for watching birds without disturbing them
• Weather Vane — decorative rooftop block

Observation Tools

• Spyglass — optical tool for distant bird observation
• Bird Whistle — attract birds for observation
• Decoy Whistle — lure specific species

Bird Behavior

Flocking

Flying birds use a boids algorithm (separation, cohesion, alignment) for naturalistic flock movement. Ambient flocks appear in V-formations and swarms near players. Only simulates near players for performance.

Nesting

Birds establish homes — cup nests on ledges, ground nests in grass, or platform nests in trees. Paired mates return to the same nest across seasons. Birds also move into player-placed birdhouses.

Predator Hunting

Predatory birds like owls hunt smaller species. Predation events are visible and logged in your journal if witnessed.

HUD

• Bird Activity Indicator — subtle notification when birds are nearby
• Bird Call Popup — visual spectrogram when a bird vocalizes near you

Supported Species

Wingspan does not add its own bird entities. Instead, it recognizes birds from the base game and other mods, adding journal tracking, feeder interactions, and observation mechanics on top of them. 16 species are currently supported.

Vanilla: Chicken

More Animals: Common Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Western Capercaillie

The Critter Pack: American Robin, House Sparrow, American Crow, Cedar Waxwing, Tawny Owl, Mallard, Call Duck, Pekin Duck, Black Swan, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan

Species are only tracked when their source mod is installed.

Commands

Command	Description
/wingspan-waypoint [label]	Create a map waypoint at your location for a bird sighting

Compatibility

Works with the base game and adds support for compatible animal mods automatically using wildcard entity matching. Wingspan patches new behaviors and AI tasks onto existing bird entities — it does not replace or break any base entity functionality.

Requirements

Vintage Story 1.22.0 or newer. Requires Heartwood for ecosystem features (population, nesting, persistence).