Scattered across the fractured and somber expanse of the Lands Between are creatures born of a profound and ancient dread. Among the most haunting are the Deathbirds and their more formidable kin, the Death Rite Birds. These skeletal harbingers, with their massive skulls for faces, tattered wings, and emaciated frames, seem plucked from a forgotten funerary rite. They are not mere beasts but guardians of a lost order, keepers of ghostflame, and envoys of a death that predates the Erdtree's golden light. For the Tarnished brave enough to face them only under the cover of night, they offer not just a trial of combat, but unique and powerful rewards that whisper of their grim purpose.

🦅 Warmaster's Shack Deathbird

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The journey begins in the mists of Limgrave. From the Warmaster's Shack Site of Grace, one must wait for the sun to set and the world to grow still. Riding Torrent eastward, a ruined building adorned with spectral, white-glowing lights marks the threshold. Here, the first Deathbird descends, a sudden violence against the quiet dark. Its defeat yields the Blue-Feathered Branchsword Talisman, an artifact adorned with feathers used in rituals long past. When the bearer's vitality dwindles to a desperate whisper—below 20%—this talisman becomes a bulwark, reducing all incoming harm by a formidable 50%. It is a first lesson from these creatures: their gifts are often tied to the brink of oblivion.

🪓 Weeping Peninsula Deathbird

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South, across the sorrowful Bridge of Sacrifice, lies the rain-drenched Weeping Peninsula. From the Castle Morne Rampart, night must be summoned once more. Traveling southwest, past the lonely pillar holding a map fragment, one finds the outer walls of a castle strewn with great stones. Hugging this western rock face, a broken structure appears. From the starless sky, the second Deathbird plummets. Victory here is rewarded with the Sacrificial Axe, a hatchet etched with the visage of the Deathbird as a malevolent deity. Its ancient power lingers; with each foe slain nearby, it restores 4 FP to the wielder. This passive sustenance stacks with other regenerative artifacts like the Sword of Milos, making it a cornerstone for those who walk long, bloody paths.

🔴 South Liurnia Deathbird

The shimmering, melancholic waters of Liurnia of the Lakes hold another secret. At the Scenic Isle Site of Grace, as night falls, a journey north reveals another ruins, this one also aglow with those tiny, watchful white lights. The third Deathbird answers the intrusion. From its ashen remains, the Tarnished claims the Red-Feathered Branchsword Talisman. A sibling to the blue-feathered variant, this talisman answers the heart's song near death, raising attack power by 20% when health falls below that critical 20% threshold. Together, these talismans form a potent pair for those who dare to dance perpetually on the edge, balancing devastating offense with resilient defense.

💀 Central Liurnia Death Rite Bird

Here, in the lands east of the Academy's grandeur, the enemy evolves. From the Gate Town North Site of Grace, traveling south at night brings a new horror. This is no ordinary Deathbird; its wings are the color of mourning and teal, and its power is that of the Death Rite. This advanced foe, the first Death Rite Bird, wields the chill of ghostflame. Conquering it grants not a talisman, but a spell: Ancient Death Rancor. This sorcery, belonging to the servants of Death, summons a vengeful horde of nine ghostflame spirit skulls to relentlessly pursue foes. It is a cinder raked from the ancient death hex, a tangible piece of the power these birds once kept.

Location	Enemy Type	Key Reward	Reward Effect
Warmaster's Shack	Deathbird	Blue-Feathered Branchsword	+50% Defense at <20% HP
Weeping Peninsula	Deathbird	Sacrificial Axe	+4 FP per kill (AOE)
South Liurnia	Deathbird	Red-Feathered Branchsword	+20% Attack at <20% HP
Central Liurnia	Death Rite Bird	Ancient Death Rancor	Summons 9 tracking ghostflame skulls

❄️ Caelid Death Rite Bird

The scarlet rot blights Caelid, and here, near the Caelid Highway South, another keeper of ghostflame waits. Passing the decaying horror of Ekzykes and following the eastward path, the familiar, teal-winged silhouette appears. This Death Rite Bird guards Death's Poker, a barbed greatsword that is itself a tool of the graveyard fire keepers. It is a weapon of profound duality, scaling with Intelligence, Dexterity, and Strength, dealing both piercing damage and building frostbite. Its unique skill, Ghostflame Ignition, allows the wielder to command the very flames the Deathbirds rake from their kilns, making it a uniquely formidable armament.

🛡️ Altus Plateau Deathbird

The golden heights of the Altus Plateau, reached by the grace of the Dectus Medallion, offer a different prize. Northeast of the Hermit Merchant's Shack, among fields littered with colossal skulls, the next Deathbird manifests. Its defeat yields the Twinbird Kite Shield, a medium shield painted with the vibrant image of the twinbird—said to be the envoy of an outer god and mother to the Deathbirds. True to the lineage of its rewards, this shield grants a boost of 5% attack and 10% defense when HP dwindles to 20%. This effect beautifully stacks with the Blue and Red-Feathered Branchsword Talismans, creating a potent trifecta for the critically wounded warrior.

🏔️ Mountaintops Of The Giants Death Rite Bird

The frozen, forbidding Mountaintops of the Giants, unlocked only after besting Morgott and obtaining the Rold Medallion, house a more treacherous hunt. From the Freezing Lake, a long, westward ride along a cliffside path is interrupted by magically appearing giant skeletons. At the bottom of a hill, a hard right leads to a secluded flatland where the seventh bird, a Death Rite Bird, awaits. It drops the Death Ritual Spear, a weapon once wielded by priests permitted among the Deathbirds. It is an artifact of an oath, a symbol of guardianship sworn to a distant resurrection, its design as elegant as it is lethal.

❄️🔥 Consecrated Snowfield Death Rite Bird

The final pilgrimage requires the Haligtree Medallion, pieced together from the Village of the Albinaurics and the sunless Castle Sol. At the Grand Lift of Rold, the secret is hoisted, revealing the Consecrated Snowfield. From Ordina, Liturgical Town, travel west at night, then north along a frozen river. Here, the eighth and ultimate Death Rite Bird appears, a master of the ancient flame. Its defeat is a monumental act, granting a cascade of 220,000 runes and the ultimate Death Sorcery: Explosive Ghostflame. This spell strikes the ground, triggering a cataclysm of ghostflame that burns the area, dealing an initial 130 explosion damage plus ticking flame and frost damage. It is the purest expression of their power—a reminder that in the age before the Erdtree, death itself was burned in the ghostflame these birds kept.

🎁 Summary of Deathbird Rewards:

• Talismans for the Brink: Blue/Red-Feathered Branchswords for defense/attack at low HP.

• Sustenance & Sorcery: The FP-regenerating Sacrificial Axe and the tracking Ancient Death Rancor.

• Legendary Arms: Death's Poker (frost Greatsword) and the Death Ritual Spear.

• Defensive Synergy: The Twinbird Kite Shield that stacks with the Branchsword talismans.

• The Ultimate Spell: Explosive Ghostflame, a devastating area-denial Death Sorcery.

Thus, the Deathbirds are more than nightmares given form; they are curators of a lost age, their grotesque beauty guarding artifacts of immense power. Each nocturnal battle is a step into a deeper, older layer of the world's mythos, rewarding not just the strong, but the steadfast and the cunning. To hunt them all is to walk hand-in-hand with an ancient death, and to emerge armed with its forgotten fires.