Table of Contents

Feather of the Earth Challenge Guide

TL;DR

Pick up the Sealed Abyss Artifact on the road northwest of Karin Quarry Rest Area
Challenge: Carry 5 different birds — you cannot count the same bird five times
Best spot: the river east of Hernand, where ducks and partridges are plentiful
Partridges cannot fly and are the easiest to catch — sprint after them and hold Interact
The Interact prompt will grey out while chasing, but keep holding it and your character will dive for the bird
Open the Sealed Abyss Artifact in your inventory after completing the challenge to claim the reward
Part of the White Crow’s Gaze / Hunting category — completing all 11 Hunting challenges unlocks the Ultimate Hunter trophy

The Feather of the Earth challenge is one of the Life category challenges in Crimson Desert. It tasks you with carrying five different birds, which sounds simple but can trip players up if they do not know where to look or how the bird-catching mechanic works. This guide covers the exact artifact location, the best bird-catching spot in the game, and how to complete the challenge as fast as possible.

Feather of the Earth — Sealed Abyss Artifact Location

The Sealed Abyss Artifact that unlocks the Feather of the Earth challenge is in the Hernand region, on the south side of the road directly northwest of the Karin Quarry Rest Area — the same area where the Stolen Quarry quest takes place.

Travel along the road toward Karin Quarry and look for a small shrine built from stacked rocks near a tree. The Sealed Abyss Artifact sits on top of that altar. Like all Sealed Abyss Artifacts, it will not appear on your main map. Watch for a purple icon on your minimap as you get close, or hold up your lantern at night to spot the white glow it emits from a distance.

If you are having trouble pinpointing the exact spot, head to higher ground nearby and use Blinding Flash to scan for a glint of light in the area. That will lead you right to it. See our how to use Blinding Flash guide if you have not used that ability before.

Once you pick up the artifact, the Feather of the Earth challenge becomes active in your Journal under Challenges > White Crow’s Gaze / Hunting.

Where to Find Birds in Crimson Desert

The challenge requires you to carry five different birds. You cannot pick up and put down the same bird five times — each carry must be a separate bird. The key is finding a location with enough birds close together to complete all five carries quickly.

Best Location — River East of Hernand

The easiest spot to complete this challenge is along the river to the east of Hernand. This area has a reliable mix of ducks and partridges by the shoreline and in the surrounding grass. There are enough birds in this one stretch of river to complete all five carries without needing to travel anywhere else.

Conveniently, the Karin Quarry area near the artifact also has a good number of partridges nearby. If you want to save time, you can attempt the challenge right after picking up the artifact without backtracking to Hernand.

Other Bird Locations

Birds are found throughout Pywel near rivers, lakes, and open fields. If you are already exploring other regions, keep an eye near water sources and open terrain — partridges especially tend to cluster in grassy areas. Later Hunting challenges take you into Demeniss and the Crimson Desert region, so you will encounter plenty more birds as you progress through the map.

Find and Catch Birds in Crimson Desert 2

How to Catch Birds in Crimson Desert

Catching Partridges (Easiest Method)

Partridges are the recommended bird for this challenge because they cannot fly. They will sprint away when they spot you, but that is all they can do. You can easily close the gap by sprinting after them.

As you get close, an Interact prompt will appear. Do not be discouraged if it appears greyed out while you are chasing the bird. That is normal. Keep holding the Interact button while running after the bird and your character will automatically dive to catch it. The catch triggers even during the chase — you do not need to be fully stopped or precisely positioned.

Catching Ducks

Ducks will try to fly away the moment they spot you. The trick is to crouch and approach from behind before they become aware of you. Once you are close enough, rush them and hold Interact quickly before they take off. They are slightly trickier than partridges but still very manageable near the river east of Hernand where they are plentiful.

Key Rule — Five Different Birds

You must carry five different birds. Picking up the same bird, releasing it, and grabbing it again does not count. Move between separate birds each time. The river east of Hernand has more than enough individuals to complete the full five carries in a single short session.

How to Complete the Feather of the Earth Challenge Step by Step

Pick up the Sealed Abyss Artifact at the shrine northwest of Karin Quarry Rest Area
Travel to the river east of Hernand (or use the partridges near Karin Quarry itself)
Spot a bird — partridges near the riverbank are the easiest targets
Sprint toward the bird and hold the Interact button — keep holding even if the prompt is greyed out
Your character will dive and catch the bird automatically
Release the bird and move to the next one
Repeat for five different birds to complete the challenge
Once done, open your inventory and go to Key Item | Abyss Item
Find the illuminated Sealed Abyss Artifact and use it to claim your reward

Feather of the Earth Reward

Completing the Feather of the Earth challenge earns you an Abyss Artifact, which is used to unlock and upgrade skills. Even one extra Abyss Artifact makes a difference in the early game when skill points are still scarce.

For the best way to spend your Abyss Artifacts, check out our best skills to level up first in Crimson Desert guide and how to get skill points guide.

About the White Crow’s Gaze / Hunting Challenges

Feather of the Earth is the first of 11 Hunting challenges in Crimson Desert, all found under the White Crow’s Gaze tab in the Hunting section of your Journal. These challenges involve catching and fighting various animals across Pywel. Completing all 11 unlocks the Ultimate Hunter trophy and achievement.

Most Hunting challenges are spread across multiple regions. The early ones are in Hernand, while later challenges take you into Demeniss and the Crimson Desert region. It is worth picking up the Sealed Abyss Artifacts for these as you naturally explore each region, so the challenges are active and ready to complete whenever you encounter the right animals.

For more on how the broader Sealed Abyss Artifact system works, see our guide on how to open Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert.

Tips for Completing the Challenge Quickly

Go to the river east of Hernand first — the density of partridges and ducks there makes this the fastest spot in the game
Chase partridges over ducks if you want the simplest experience — no crouching or stealth required
Keep holding Interact during the chase — the greyed-out prompt is not a failure state, the grab will trigger automatically
Do not reuse the same bird — move to a fresh bird each time or the carry will not count
Complete the challenge near Karin Quarry if you want to save travel time right after grabbing the artifact — partridges are available right there
Open the artifact in your inventory after the fifth bird or you will not receive the reward

More Crimson Desert Challenge and Life Guides

Crimson Desert is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for more.

Crimson Desert Feather of the Earth Challenge Guide

Feather of the Earth Challenge Guide

Feather of the Earth — Sealed Abyss Artifact Location