How to catch Galarian Zapdos in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is inconsistent with how players encounter rare Pokémon, though Legendaries all tend to be featured in some type of raid. That doesn’t apply to certain species, however, because Galarian Zapdos is only found by using one of the game’s daily mechanics. 

For anyone who didn’t play Sword and Shield’s DLC, the Galarian variants of Kanto’s Legendary trio all feature revamped looks, altered typings, and new moves to fit those changes—for Galaian Zapdos, this means it loses its Electric typing and takes on a secondary Fighting-type.

Shifting from an aerial focus to something more resembling a land-based ostrich, Galarian Zapdos is known as the Strong Legs Pokémon and can still create electric-like currents when its feathers rub together. One kick from this Legendary Pokémon is said to crumple a dump truck and it can reach speeds of over 180 miles per hour. 

That last tidbit is unfortunately crucial to its appearance in Pokémon Go, as it has a high chance of fleeing when you actually throw a ball at it. 

How to encounter Galarian Zapdos in Pokémon Go

Niantic knew how much players would covet the chance to catch the regional variant for Zapdos, so the developers locked it behind the Daily Adventure Incenense. That means Galarian Zapdos is an Incense-exclusive encounter that players can only find once per day during a 15-minute period of time. 

Related: How does Daily Adventure Incense work in Pokémon Go?

According to the game’s data, all three of the Galarian birds have a three percent catch rate and a 90 percent chance to run after every direct interaction. That means the Galarian Zapdos has a high chance to run away when you throw a Poké Ball but the game doesn’t count anything like Berries as a direct interaction, so feel free to use them. 

Remember, you have a limited amount of time and only one shot per day to encounter Galarian Zapdos, so missing out on catching one is going to sting more than other rare encounters. Until something changes, you just need to get lucky while using your Daily Adventure Incense and hope you can nab the speedy Legendary before it decides to make a break for it.