How to get Shiny Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos in Pokémon Go

The Legendary Galarian birds return as a major priority for Pokémon Go players following their initial appearance. These three Pokémon have been around since the Daily Adventure Incense launched, and there’s now a chance to catch their Shiny versions, which everyone is eager to add to their collection.

You can catch three Legendary Galarian birds in Pokémon Go: Galarian Articuno, Galarian Moltres, and Galarian Zapdos. Yes, these are the three Legendary birds you catch from the Kanto region, but their Galarian forms give them different typings that make them unique, alongside distinct appearances and stats. With the arrival of their Shiny forms, hunting these down can become even more challenging. Here’s what you need to know about how to catch a Shiny Galarian Articuno, Galarian Moltres, and Galarian Zapdos in Pokémon Go.

Where to catch Shiny Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos in Pokémon Go

Catching Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos requires you to use your Daily Adventure Incense while playing Pokémon Go. You can find it at the top right of your screen, and activate it once a day. When you do, Incense appears around your character, and as you walk around, Pokémon have a chance of spawning next to you. They should have an Incense icon next to their name when they spawn. As you might imagine, this is the only way for the Shiny versions of Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos to appear while playing the mobile game. They don’t appear in five-star raids.

The chances of one of these three Legendary Pokémon spawning near you are relatively low, as Pokémon Go players have discovered. There’s no precise information about their chances of appearing, but some Reddit users have shared that they averaged encountering one of these birds once every 4.5 days over a span of three months. These results vary as it all comes down to chance, but don’t expect to encounter one of these birds often. It appears, on average, you might find it once a week if you use your Daily Adventure Incense at least once a day.

As you might imagine, with the arrival of Shiny Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, the chances of encountering a Shiny version are even lower. Traditionally, a Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go has a one in 20 chance of being Shiny, but those are only the odds for five-star raids. Because the Galarian birds are the first to appear in the wild as you wander around these, odds might vary, but you can be assured the chances of finding one of them in their Shiny form won’t happen to you too often.

What’s worse is these Galarian birds have a notorious flee rate. This means if you attempt to catch these Pokémon, they have a high chance of running away immediately after you throw a Poké Ball at them. If you don’t want to risk missing your chance of catching a Galarian Articuno, Moltres, or Zapdos, your best option is to use a Master Ball—but those don’t appear too often. Thankfully, one is available during the Galar Expedition event, which is when the Shiny versions of these Pokémon launched.

The best way to increase your odds of finding these Shiny Galarian birds is to use your Daily Adventure Incense at least once a day. It only lasts for 15 minutes, which means you want to make the most of that time by walking around. Pokémon can spawn while you use Incense as long as you keep moving. Make sure to find a suitable path to explore when attempting to go after these birds, but don’t have your hopes too high. The odds are not in your favor—but on the other hand, that’s what makes one of them appearing so special.