Wingspan
✅ 20 Questions Answered
📘 Available Rulebooks:
- Core Rulebook r24
Answered Questions
Answers are grounded in the game's rulebooks and written to clarify how the rules work during play.
Mode: inferred
If a bird power triggers a chain of effects that activate additional bird powers, in what order are those powers resolved?
When a bird power triggers a chain of effects that activate additional bird powers, the order of resolution is as follows:
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Brown "WHEN ACTIVATED" powers in a habitat are always activated from right to left as you move your action cube across the row. This is specified for each habitat action (Gain Food, Lay Eggs, Draw Bird Cards) and applies to any chain of effects that result from activating these powers.
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If a bird power causes you to take an action that would activate more bird powers (for example, drawing a card that triggers another effect), you continue to resolve the powers in the right-to-left order within that habitat.
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All bird powers are optional; you may choose whether or not to activate each one as you reach it.
This order is supported by the following rulebook references:
- "Activate any brown powers on your [habitat] birds, from right to left. All powers are optional."
(Pages 7, 8, 9) - "These powers may be activated from right to left whenever you use the corresponding habitat."
(Page 10)
Summary:
When a chain of bird powers is triggered, resolve each power in the right-to-left order within the habitat row, choosing whether or not to activate each as you go.
Source: pages 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 4, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
When refilling the bird tray, if the deck runs out, is the discard pile reshuffled immediately, or only when a draw is attempted?
If the face-down deck is ever emptied during the game, reshuffle all discarded bird cards to form a new deck.
This reshuffling occurs when a draw is attempted and the deck is empty, not immediately when the deck runs out.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "If the face-down deck is ever emptied during the game, reshuffle all discarded bird cards to form a new deck."
(Page 9)
The context describes this in the section about drawing cards, indicating the reshuffle happens as needed when a card must be drawn and the deck is empty, not at the moment the deck is depleted.
Source: page 9
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 11, 2, 4, 5, 9)
Mode: inferred
If a bird's 'when played' power allows or requires an action (such as drawing bonus cards), must it be resolved before the next bird is played, or can it be delayed?
A bird's WHEN PLAYED
(white) power must be resolved immediately when the bird is played and cannot be delayed until after another bird is played.
This is supported by the following rules:
-
On page 4, it states:
"To place a bird from your hand onto a habitat, place an action cube on the Play a Bird spot above where you will play the bird. Pay the bird’s food and egg cost, then place the bird on your mat, only triggering that bird’s white 'when played' power (if any)."
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On page 10, it clarifies:
"WHEN PLAYED (white): These powers may be activated only when a bird is played (never again after you play the bird)."
This means the WHEN PLAYED
power is only available at the moment the bird is played and must be resolved at that time, before any other actions (such as playing another bird) are taken.
Source: pages 4 and 10.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 4, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
Are egg colors relevant for any scoring, goals, or bird powers, or are they purely aesthetic?
Egg colors are purely aesthetic and do not affect scoring, goals, or bird powers.
This is supported by the following rulebook statements:
- "To lay an egg, gain an egg token from the supply (color doesn’t matter) and place it on a bird card that has space for it, according to its egg limit."
(page 8)
There is no mention anywhere in the provided context of egg color being relevant for scoring, end-of-round goals, or bird powers.
Source: page 8
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 11, 8)
Mode: inferred
If a player has no valid targets for a bird power (e.g., no cards in hand to tuck or no food to cache), can they activate the power for partial effect or must they skip it entirely?
If a player has no valid targets for a bird power (such as no cards in hand to tuck or no food to cache), they must skip that power entirely.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "Bird powers are always optional. For example, if you do not want to spend a card by tucking it under a flocking bird, you do not have to do so."
(page 10)
This means you are never required to activate a bird power, and if you cannot fulfill its requirements (e.g., you have nothing to tuck or cache), you simply do not use it. There is no mention in the provided context of partial effects or alternative outcomes if you cannot fully resolve a power.
Source: page 10
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
For the pink 'once between turns' powers, can you activate them on your own turn if the condition is met, or only on other players' turns?
You can only activate pink ONCE BETWEEN TURNS
powers on other players' turns, not on your own turn.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "ONCE BETWEEN TURNS (pink): These powers may be triggered on opponents’ turns. You can only use a pink power once between each of your own turns (if an opponent triggers it)."
(Page 10)
This means:
- Pink powers are not activated during your own turn, even if the condition is met.
- They are only triggered by actions taken by opponents during their turns.
Source: page 10.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 4, 7, 8)
Mode: inferred
Can a player voluntarily choose not to use a bird's power when it is activated, even if the effect is beneficial?
Yes, a player can voluntarily choose not to use a bird's power when it is activated, even if the effect is beneficial.
This is supported by the rulebook, which states:
Bird powers are always optional. For example, if you do not want to spend a card by tucking it under a flocking bird, you do not have to do so.
(page 10)
This applies to all types of bird powers, including those that are beneficial.
Source: page 10
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
If you activate a bird power that allows all players to gain a resource, do other players get to use their own powers triggered by that gain?
I don't know based on the rulebook.
The provided rulebook context explains that some bird powers, such as the Western Meadowlark's, allow "all players" to gain a resource (e.g., "All players lay 1 [egg] on any 1 bird. You may lay 1 on 1 additional bird." — page 8). However, the rulebook does not specify whether other players may activate their own bird powers in response to gaining a resource from another player's bird power.
The context does explain how ONCE BETWEEN TURNS (pink)
powers work: "These powers may be triggered on opponents’ turns. You can only use a pink power once between each of your own turns (if an opponent triggers it)." (page 10). But it does not clarify if brown powers or other types of powers can be triggered in response to resources gained from another player's bird power.
To answer this question definitively, the rulebook would need to specify:
- Whether gaining a resource due to another player's bird power counts as "using the corresponding habitat" or otherwise triggers powers.
- If and how players may activate their own powers in response to such effects.
Source: pages 8, 10.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 7, 8)
Mode: inferred
When drawing cards from the bird tray, if a card is taken, is it immediately replaced before any additional draws, or are all replacements done after the turn?
All replacements are done after the turn, not immediately after a card is taken.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "As you draw face-up cards, they are not immediately refilled. Instead, wait until the end of your turn before refilling empty spaces on the bird tray."
(Page 9)
Summary:
When drawing cards from the bird tray, do not refill the tray until the end of your turn.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 2, 4, 5, 9)
Mode: inferred
If two or more players tie for an end-of-round goal on the green (majority) side, how are points divided if there are three or more tied players?
If three or more players tie for an end-of-round goal on the green (majority) side, follow these steps:
- All tied players place their action cubes on the tied place (e.g., 1st place).
- Do not award the next place(s) that would have been taken by the tied players.
- At game end, add the points for the tied place and the next place(s) that would have been awarded, then divide by the number of tied players and round down.
For example, if three players tie for 1st place (with points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd being 5, 2, and 1):
- Add 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points: 5 + 2 + 1 = 8
- Divide by the number of tied players: 8 ÷ 3 = 2.66, rounded down to 2
- Each tied player scores 2 points
This is based on the following rule from page 11:
If players tie, place both cubes on the tied place, and do not award the next place. At game end, you will add the points for that place and the next place(s), then divide by the number of players who tied and round down (4th place scores 0 points).
Source: page 11
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 11, 2, 5)
Mode: inferred
If you discard cards or eggs to gain a bonus effect (such as an extra food or card), can you choose not to gain the extra benefit after paying the cost?
You cannot choose to pay the cost (discard a card or egg) and then decline the bonus effect; the bonus is always tied to the cost. The rulebook specifies that the bonus conversions are optional, but if you choose to pay the cost, you must take the associated benefit.
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On page 7, for the "gain food" action:
"If the slot where you placed your action cube shows a card-to-food bonus conversion, you may discard at most 1 bird card from your hand to gain an additional food. This is optional. When you gain this extra food, you must choose among the dice that are remaining in the birdfeeder."
This means the entire conversion (discarding a card to gain food) is optional, but if you discard the card, you must gain the food. -
On page 9, for the "draw cards" action:
"If the slot where you placed your action cube shows an egg-to-card bonus conversion, you may discard at most 1 egg from a bird on your mat to draw an additional card. This is optional. Remove 1 egg from one of your bird cards and return it to the egg supply."
Again, the conversion is optional, but if you pay the cost (discard an egg), you must draw the card.
There is no rule allowing you to pay the cost and then decline the benefit.
Source: pages 7 and 9.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
Can you spend eggs from any of your birds to pay the egg cost for playing a new bird, or are there restrictions on which eggs can be used?
You can spend eggs from any of your birds to pay the egg cost for playing a new bird. There are no restrictions on which birds' eggs can be used, as long as the eggs are on your player mat.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "Pay the corresponding egg cost (if any) by discarding eggs from any birds on your player mat."
(Page 6)
There are no additional restrictions mentioned regarding which birds' eggs can be used.
Source: page 6
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 2, 6, 8)
Mode: inferred
When activating a brown power that refers to rolling dice not in the birdfeeder, what happens if all dice are currently in the birdfeeder?
If a brown power instructs you to "roll all dice not in birdfeeder," but all dice are currently in the birdfeeder, there are no dice outside the birdfeeder to roll. Therefore, you do not roll any dice, and the rest of the power cannot be resolved unless it specifies an alternative.
This is supported by the description of the birdfeeder management on page 7:
- "The dice removed from the birdfeeder when a player gained food will remain outside the tray until the birdfeeder is refilled."
- Brown powers such as the one on Broad-Winged Hawk (page 1, page 4): "WHEN ACTIVATED: Roll all dice not in birdfeeder. If any are [rat], cache 1 [rat] from the supply on this bird."
If there are no dice outside the birdfeeder, there are no dice to roll, so the effect cannot proceed.
Source: pages 1, 4, and 7.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 4, 7, 8)
Mode: inferred
If a bird power instructs you to cache a food token and the supply of that food is empty, can you use another token or must you forfeit the effect?
If a bird power instructs you to cache a food token and the supply of that food is empty, you may use a temporary substitute.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "In the unlikely event that any type of food token is unavailable in the supply, use a temporary substitute."
(Page 7)
Therefore, you do not forfeit the effect; you use a substitute token to represent the cached food.
Source: page 7.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 6, 7, 8)
Mode: inferred
If a bird power (brown or pink) could apply to multiple birds, can you choose to activate some and not others, or must you resolve all possible effects?
You may choose to activate some and not others; all bird powers are optional.
This is stated on page 10:
Bird powers are always optional. For example, if you do not want to spend a card by tucking it under a flocking bird, you do not have to do so.
This applies to all types of bird powers, including brown ("WHEN ACTIVATED") and pink ("ONCE BETWEEN TURNS") powers. Therefore, if a power could apply to multiple birds, you may choose which ones to activate and which to ignore.
Source: page 10.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
If you are instructed to lay more eggs than you have available spaces on your birds, what happens to the extra eggs?
If you are instructed to lay more eggs than you have available spaces on your birds, any excess eggs beyond your birds' egg limits are lost and not placed.
This is supported by the following rulebook references:
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"A bird card can never hold more than this number of eggs."
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"It is possible that you will have more capacity to lay eggs (based on your player mat) than you have spaces on your birds. Any excess beyond your egg limit is lost."
(Page 8) -
"If you attempt to lay more eggs than your birds have space for, the extra eggs are lost."
(Page 1)
Summary:
You cannot place more eggs than your birds' combined egg limits allow; any extra eggs are lost.
Sources:
Page 8, Page 1
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 5, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
When all dice in the birdfeeder show the same face, does the reroll occur before or after selecting dice for a power or action that gains food?
When all dice in the birdfeeder show the same face (including if there is only 1 die), and you are about to gain food from the birdfeeder for any reason, you may first throw all 5 dice back into the birdfeeder. This reroll occurs before you select dice for a power or action that gains food.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "If the dice in the tray all show the same face (including if there is only 1 die) and you are about to gain food from the birdfeeder for any reason, you may first throw all 5 dice back into the birdfeeder."
(Page 7)
Therefore, the reroll option is available immediately before you select dice to gain food, not after.
Source: page 7
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 2, 4, 5, 7)
Mode: inferred
If you activate a brown power that allows you to draw or tuck cards and the deck is empty, what should you do?
If you activate a brown power that allows you to draw or tuck cards and the deck is empty, you should reshuffle all discarded bird cards to form a new deck.
This is supported by the following rule:
- "If the face-down deck is ever emptied during the game, reshuffle all discarded bird cards to form a new deck."
(Page 9)
This applies whenever you need to draw or tuck cards and the deck is empty, including when resolving brown powers.
Source: page 9
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 7, 8, 9)
Mode: inferred
When using two food tokens as a wild food to play a bird, can you mix cached food from birds or must all food come from your personal supply?
You must use food tokens from your personal supply next to your player mat, not cached food on bird cards, when paying the food cost to play a bird—including when using two food tokens as a wild food.
This is supported by the following rules:
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"Pay the bird’s food cost. Discard food tokens to the supply (these tokens must be from next to your player mat, not food tokens cached on bird cards, a concept that will be explained later)."
(Page 6) -
"When playing birds, you may spend any 2 food tokens as if they are any 1 food token. This exchange cannot be used during other parts of the game. For example, if you need 1 fish, you could use any other 2 food tokens instead."
(Page 6)
The rulebook makes it clear that only food tokens from your personal supply can be used to pay for birds, whether paying the exact cost or using the two-for-one wild exchange. Cached food on bird cards cannot be used for this purpose.
Source: page 6
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 2, 6, 7)
Mode: inferred
If a bird card has multiple habitat symbols, can you move it to a different habitat after it has been played, or is its placement permanent?
I don't know based on the rulebook. The provided context explains that some bird cards have multiple habitat symbols, which means they can be played in any of those habitats. However, there is no information in the provided rulebook pages about moving a bird card to a different habitat after it has been played. The rules only describe placing a bird in a habitat when it is played (see page 4), but do not mention moving birds between habitats after placement. To answer this question definitively, the rulebook would need to specify whether or not birds can be moved after being played.
Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 1, 10, 4, 8, 9)