Ginger Island in Stardew Valley is an interesting area filled with secrets and new puzzles. After players make their way to this island in the Fern Islands Archipelago, they will quickly discover interesting NPCs, an active volcano, and a brand new farm to use. One of the lesser understood secrets of this place i Stardew Valleyhowever, is associated with Gem Birds that can be found all over the island.
One of the core components of this island i Stardew Valley are finding Golden Walnuts, a currency that can be used to unlock more areas and new rewards. To collect some, it is important to understand the gem birds and solve their riddle. For players who want to better understand Gem Birds and how to uncover their secret, this guide is here to help.
Stardew Valley: All Golden Walnut locations
With the Stardew Valley 1.5 update, there are 130 golden walnuts that can be found around Ginger Island to exchange for rare rewards.
Updated January 25, 2026 by Usama Ali: The Gem Bird puzzle is one of Ginger Island's most satisfying secrets that players can find in Stardew Valley. It's not just about spotting colorful birds in the rain, but rather paving the way to find golden walnuts hidden across the island. This guide has been updated to include a clear breakdown of the rewards you get for completing the Gem Bird puzzle, along with updated formatting and updated images to match current Stardew Valley standards, so you can solve it smoothly without missing a step.
What are Gem Birds in Stardew Valley?
Gem Birds are the distinctively colored birds that appear on Ginger Island when it rains. There are a total of five possible iterations of Gem Birds: red, blue, green, yellow and purple. These birds will appear in one of four areas of Ginger Island and will drop a gem of the same color when the player approaches them:
Players should meet Stardew Valleys Leo and open up more areas of the island before taking this puzzle, as there are several areas where the birds can appear. When it rains on the island, players will find a gem bird in one of the following areas:
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The southern part of the island (northwest of the dock)
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The eastern part of the island (the middle area near the path)
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The northern part of the island (northeast of Island Trader)
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The western part of the island (east of the dam)
How to solve the Gem Bird Puzzle in Stardew Valley
Standing in front of Leo's house, players can walk east to discover an area with four pedestals and a stone shrine. Interacting with this shrine gives players information about the puzzle, informing them of it the pedestals are associated with the cardinal direction of the island where the gem birds appear. Because of this, it's important to remember the order of the directions where you found the gems to avoid wasting time guessing the correct location.
Gem Bird Puzzle Reward
Placing the correct gem on each pedestal will solve the puzzle and reward the player with 5 
Golden walnuts.
Fortunately, the gems used do not have to be those dropped by Gem Birds. This puzzle can be solved without the player seeing all four Gem Birds, as players can guess the remaining options with only two Gem Birds placed. All they have to do is place different combinations of the remaining gems on the empty sockets until the puzzle is solved.
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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E for All (fantasy violence, mild blood, mild language, simulated gambling, use of alcohol and tobacco)
- Developer
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Worried Ape
- Publisher
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Worried Ape
