Your reference guide to the many Wingspan Bird Cards. The game, which was released in 2019, is being called one of the greatest engine buidling board games of all time. It rides a perfect medium line of being deep in strategy but not deep in intensity or time. Part of its success, however, is undoubtedly the bird theme and hundreds of beautifully designed bird cards from artwork by Natalia Rojas (which you can buy prints of from her). So often you need a quick reference guide to what all the Wingspan bird cards do, and this is it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Food Gaining Bird Cards | Egg-Laying Bird Cards | Card-Drawing Bird Cards | Flocking Bird Cards | Hunting and Fishing Bird Cards | Other Bird Cards
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | FOOD-GAINING POWERS
Gain food as described on the card. Each card specifies whether you can take a food directly from the supply, or if you must use a die from the birdfeeder (remove the die from the birdfeeder).
Food From The Bird Feeder
If a power says to gain a from the birdfeeder, you can use a die showing either the side, or the dual (worm) side. The same applies to seeds.
Great Crested Flycatcher | Indigo Bunting | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Western Tanager
WHEN ACTIVATED: Gain 1 [food type] from the birdfeeder, if there is one.
Bald Eagle | Northern Flicker
WHEN PLAYED: Gain all [food type] that are in the birdfeeder.
Anna’s Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird
WHEN ACTIVATED: Each player gains 1 food from the birdfeeder, starting with the player of your choice.
The hummingbird’s owner decides which person gains the first food, and then players gain food in turn order. Players may reset the birdfeeder if it is empty or if all dice are showing the same face.
Hermit Thrush
WHEN ACTIVATED: Player(s) with fewest birds gain 1 food from birdfeeder.
If multiple players are tied for fewest birds in the forest, they all use this power. You choose who goes first, and players proceed in turn order.
Black-billed Magpie | Black Vulture | Turkey Vulture
ONCE Between TURNS: When another player’s succeeds, gain 1 food from the birdfeeder.
If multiple players trigger this power at the same time, they gain food in turn order, starting to the left of the active player (the one whose predator succeeded).
Food From The Supply
These powers allow players to take food directly from the supply, without relying on the dice in the birdfeeder. The supply of food tokens is not intended to be limited. If you ever run out, see the rules on gaining food for instructions on how to replenish the supply.
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher | Northern Cardinal | Spotted Towhee | Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
WHEN ACTIVATED: Gain 1 [specific food] from the supply.
American Goldfinch | Brown Pelican
WHEN PLAYED: Gain 3 [specific food] from the supply.
Eastern Phoebe | Scissor-tailed flycatcher | Osprey, Baltimore Oriole | Red Crossbill
WHEN ACTIVATED: All players gain 1[specific food] from the supply.
Green Heron
WHEN ACTIVATED: Trade 1 of any food for any other food from the supply.
American Crow | Black-Crowned Night-Heron | Chihuahuan Raven | Common Raven | Fish Crow
WHEN ACTIVATED: Discard 1 egg from any of your other birds to gain [1/2] food from the supply.
These birds are all known for eating eggs from other birds’ nests. You must have laid an egg on another bird before you can use these powers. Discard the egg to the supply.
Belted Kingfisher | Eastern Kingbird
ONCE Between TURNS: When another player plays a bird [in a specific habitat], gain 2 [specific food] from the supply.
Activate these powers when a player uses the “Play a bird” action to play a bird into the specific habitat. A bird that uses its power to move into the habitat does not trigger this power.
Caching Food
The birds with these powers are known for caching extra food and saving it for later. As noted on these cards, you can cache exactly 1 food token when their power is activated by placing it on a bird card. Once a food token is cached on a bird card, you cannot spend it. Each token on the card at the end of the game is worth 1 point. If the same dice are showing in the birdfeeder, you may reroll to see if you meet the condition of the bird. If you run out of food tokens, you can cache cards instead.
Carolina Chickadee | Juniper Titmouse | Mountain Chickadee | Red-Breasted Nuthatch | White-breasted Nuthatch
WHEN ACTIVATED: Gain 1 grain from the supply and cache it on this card.
Acorn Woodpecker | Blue Jay | Clark’s Nutcracker | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Red-headed Woodpecker | Steller’s Jay
WHEN ACTIVATED: Gain 1 grain from the birdfeeder (if available). You may cache it on this card.
Loggerhead Shrike
ONCE Between TURNS: When another player takes the “gain food” action, if they gain any number of mice, also gain 1 mice from the supply and cache it on this card.
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | EGG-LAYING POWERS
Remember that each bird has an egg limit. No power allows you to lay more eggs on a bird than its limit allows. Star nest symbols are wild and can be used as all of the nest types. If you have different powers that are looking for specific nests, a bird with a star can be used with all of them, even within one turn.
American Avocet | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Bronzed Cowbird | Brown-headed Cowbird | Yellow-billed Cuckoo
ONCE Between TURNS: When another player takes the “lay eggs” action, this bird lays 1 egg on another bird with a [specific type of] nest.
These birds are all nest parasites in the wild: they lay eggs in other birds’ nests. Cowbirds don’t even build their own nests.
When another player uses the activate grassland action to lay eggs, you may lay 1 egg. You may do this only once between your turns, no matter how many other players lay eggs. The cowbird can lay eggs on star nests.
Ash-Throated Flycatcher | Bobolink | Inca Dove | Say’s Phoebe
WHEN PLAYED: Lay 1 egg on each of your birds with a [nest type] nest.
This power allows you to lay eggs on all of your birds that have a specific nest symbol (and all birds with a star nest symbol), including the newly played bird.
Pileated Woodpecker | Lazuli Bunting | Western Meadowlark
WHEN ACTIVATED: All players lay 1 egg on any 1 bird [with a specific nest]. You may lay 1 egg on 1 additional bird [of the same nest type].
This power allows you to lay an egg on 1 or 2 birds with a specific nest symbol (or a star). All other players can lay an egg on 1 bird with that nest symbol (or a star), if they have one.
Grasshopper Sparrow | Baird’s Sparrow | Cassin’s Sparrow | Chipping Sparrow
WHEN ACTIVATED: Lay 1 egg on any bird.
California Quail | Mourning Dove | Northern Bobwhite
WHEN ACTIVATED: Lay 1 egg on this bird.
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | CARD-DRAWING POWERS
Draw cards into your hand as described on the card. Just as with the Draw Cards action, you may draw from the deck or the face-up cards. There is never any hand limit. Hands may be private or public.
Mallard
WHEN ACTIVATED: Draw 1 card.
This power adds cards to the wetland’s draw card(s) action. You may draw from the deck or the face-up cards. Face-up cards are refilled only at the end of your turn.
Black-necked Stilt | Carolina Wren
WHEN PLAYED: Draw 2 cards.
This power adds cards to the wetland’s draw card(s) action. You may draw from the deck or the face-up cards. Face-up cards are refilled only at the end of your turn.
Black Tern | Clark’s Grebe | Forster’s Tern
WHEN ACTIVATED: Draw 1 card. If you do, discard 1 card from your hand at the end of your turn.
This power adds cards to the wetland’s draw card(s) action, but it has a cost. The next player may start their turn while you are deciding which card(s) to discard.
Common Yellowthroat | Pied-billed Grebe | Ruddy Duck | Wood Duck
WHEN ACTIVATED: Draw 2 cards. If you do, discard 1 card from your hand at the end of your turn.
This power adds cards to the wetland’s draw card(s) action, but it has a cost. The next player may start their turn while you are deciding which card(s) to discard.
Franklin’s Gull | Killdeer
WHEN ACTIVATED: Discard 1 egg to draw 2 cards.
This power adds cards to the wetland’s draw card(s) action, but it has a cost. Discard an egg to the supply. You cannot use this power if you have not laid any eggs yet.
Northern Shoveler | Purple Gallinule | Spotted Sandpiper | Wilson’s Snipe
WHEN ACTIVATED: All players draw 1 card from the deck.
Draw clockwise, starting with the current player.
American Bittern | Common Loon
WHEN ACTIVATED: Player(s) with the fewest water birds: draw 1 card.
If players are tied for the fewest birds currently in the wetland habitat, all draw a card, starting with you and proceeding clockwise. All may draw from the deck or the face-up cards.
American Oystercatcher
WHEN PLAYED: Draw cards equal to the number of players +1. Starting with you and proceeding clockwise, each player selects 1 of those cards and places it in their hand. You keep the extra card.
Draw the cards from the deck so that you have a set with one more card than there are players. Each player chooses one card from this set, starting with you and passing to the left. When everyone has chosen a card, you keep the extra card.
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | FLOCKING POWERS
The birds with this power are known for gathering in large single-species flocks. As described on these cards, you can build a flock of a certain species by tucking cards face-down under that bird card. Each tucked card is worth 1 point at end of game.
Horned Lark
ONCE Between TURNS: When another player plays a grassland bird, tuck a card from your hand behind this bird.
This is specifically referring to birds played into the grassland habitat.
Red-Winged Blackbird| Common Grackle | Brewer’s Blackbird | Yellow-Headed Blackbird | Bushtit | Dickcissel
WHEN ACTIVATED: Tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, also lay 1 egg on this bird.
These birds all allow you to tuck a card from your hand for a point, then gain some additional benefit (lay an egg, draw a card, or gain a food). You can only gain the benefit if you first tuck a card from your hand.
American Coot | American Robin | Barn Swallow | House Finch | Purple Martin | Ring-Billed Gull | Tree Swallow | Violet-Green Swallow | Yellow-Rumped Warbler
WHEN ACTIVATED: Tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, draw 1 card.
These birds all allow you to tuck a card from your hand for a point, then gain some additional benefit (lay an egg, draw a card, or gain a food). You can only gain the benefit if you first tuck a card from your hand.
Cedar Waxwing | Dark-Eyed Junco | Pine Siskin | Pygmy Nuthatch
WHEN ACTIVATED: Tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, gain a [specific food] from the supply.
These birds all allow you to tuck a card from your hand for a point, then gain some additional benefit (lay an egg, draw a card, or gain a food). You can only gain the benefit if you first tuck a card from your hand.
American White Pelican | Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck | Canada Goose | Double-Crested Cormorant | Sandhill Crane
WHEN ACTIVATED: Discard 1 [specific food] to tuck 2 cards from the deck behind this bird.
These powers allow you to discard a specific type of food to take 2 cards from the deck and tuck them behind the bird. You must have the food in your personal supply; you cannot take it from a bird card.
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | HUNTING AND FISHING POWERS
With these powers, birds go hunting for a smaller bird, a rodent, or a fish. If they find one, they keep it, and it counts as a point at the end of the game.
Barred Owl | Cooper’s Hawk | Golden Eagle | Great Horned Owl | Greater Roadrunner | Northern Harrier | Peregrine Falcon | Red-shouldered Hawk | Red-tailed Hawk | Swainson’s Hawk
WHEN ACTIVATED: Look at a card from the deck. If < [a certain wingspan], tuck it under this card.
These birds eat other birds. Look at the wingspan of the top card of the deck and compare it to their hunting power.
If the wingspan of the top card in the deck is less than the bird’s hunting power, tuck that card to signify that your predator hunted successfully. Each tucked card is worth 1 point at the end of the game.
If the wingspan of the top card is equal to or larger than your predator’s power, discard the card instead.
Anhinga | Black Skimmer | Common Merganser | Snowy Egret White-Faced Ibis | Willet
WHEN ACTIVATED: Roll all dice not in birdfeeder. If any are fish, gain 1 fish and cache it on this card.
Birds that eat rodents or fish roll all dice that are not in the birdfeeder. (Note that you will never roll more than 4 dice, because when all 5 dice are out of the birdfeeder it must reset immediately.) Roll dice on the table; they do not go back into the birdfeeder. If one or more dice show the specified type, take at most 1 token of that type from the supply and cache it on your card (see “Caching food”). Each token on a bird card is worth 1 point at the end of the game.
American Kestrel | Barn Owl | Burrowing Owl | Eastern Screech Owl | Ferruginous Hawk | Mississippi Kite
WHEN ACTIVATED: Roll all dice not in birdfeeder. If any are mice, gain 1 mice and cache it on this card.
Birds that eat rodents or fish roll all dice that are not in the birdfeeder. (Note that you will never roll more than 4 dice, because when all 5 dice are out of the birdfeeder it must reset immediately.) Roll dice on the table; they do not go back into the birdfeeder. If one or more dice show the specified type, take at most 1 token of that type from the supply and cache it on your card (see “Caching food”). Each token on a bird card is worth 1 point at the end of the game.
WINGSPAN BIRD CARDS | OTHER POWERS
All the things that didn’t fit on any other Wingspan bird cards category.
Bewick’s Wren | Blue Grosbeak | Chimney Swift | Common Nighthawk | Lincoln’s Sparrow | Song Sparrow | White-Crowned Sparrow | Yellow-Breasted Chat
WHEN ACTIVATED: If this bird is to the right of all other birds in its habitat, you may move it to another habitat.
These birds are all able to live in a variety of habitats, and their power is to move from habitat to habitat—but only if they’re the last bird in that row. (They can be in any column.) This can be powerful for increasing your abilities in multiple habitats, and for scoring on end-of-round goals. Be careful not to play another bird to the right of one of these cards, or you won’t be able to use its power!
Gray Catbird | Northern Mockingbird
WHEN ACTIVATED: Repeat a brown power on one other bird in this habitat.
A few birds have the power to repeat another bird’s brown power. The repeated bird must be in the same habitat.
Hooded Merganser
WHEN ACTIVATED: Repeat one death power in this habitat.
A few birds have the power to repeat another bird’s brown power. The repeated bird must be in the same habitat.
Atlantic Puffin | Bell’s Vireo | California Condor | Cassin’s Finch | Cerulean Warbler | Chestnut-Collared Longspur | Greater Prairie-Chicken | King Rail | Painted Bunting | Red-Cockaded Woodpecker | Roseate Spoonbill | Spotted Owl | Sprague’s Pipit | Whooping Crane | Wood Stork
WHEN PLAYED: Draw 2 new bonus cards and keep 1.
Draw two goal cards, pick the one you want to keep, and discard the other. If the deck of goal cards is ever exhausted, shuffle the discards to form a new face-down deck.
The birds with this power are all threatened or endangered, or conservationists are concerned that they soon will be because of a declining trend in their population.
Downy Woodpecker | Eastern Bluebird | Great Blue Heron | Great Egret | House Wren | Mountain Bluebird | Red-Eyed Vireo | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Savannah Sparrow | Tufted Titmouse
WHEN PLAYED: Play a second bird in your [specific habitat]. Pay its normal cost.
Play another bird into the same habitat. You must follow all other rules about how to play birds: it must be a bird that can live in that habitat, and you must discard the food and egg cost for that bird.
The birds with this power all are known for spending time in mixed flocks with multiple bird species. Research has shown this can have benefits such as help finding food and being alerted about predators.
