Ginger Island in Stardew Valley is an interesting area filled with secrets and new puzzles. After players make their way onto this island in the Fern Islands Archipelago, they will quickly uncover interesting NPCs, an active volcano, and a whole new farm to use. One of the less understood secrets of this place in Stardew Valley, however, is associated with the Gem Birds that can be found across the island.
One of the core components of this island in Stardew Valley is locating Golden Walnuts, a currency that can be used to open up more areas and new rewards. To gather a few, it's essential to understand the Gem Birds and solve their riddle. For players looking to better understand the Gem Birds and how to uncover their secret, this guide is here to help.
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 on Ginger Island and will drop a gem of the same color when the player approaches them:
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Red:
Ruby
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Blue:
Aquamarine
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Green:
Emerald
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Yellow:
Topaz
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Purple:
Amethyst
Players should meet Stardew Valley's Leo and open up more areas of the island before taking on this puzzle, as there are several areas the birds can appear.When it is raining on the island, players will find a Gem Bird in any of the following areas:
- The Southern section of the island (northwest of the dock)
- The Eastern section of the island (middle area near the path)
- The Northern section of the island (northeast of the Island Trader)
- The Western section of the island (east of the pond)
The area in which a Gem Bird is found is associated with a pedestal in a hidden section of the island nearby to Leo's house in Stardew Valley. Using a Rain Totem on Ginger Island to force the Gem Birds to arrive is a faster strategy than relying on regular rainstorms.
How to Solve the Gem Bird Puzzle in Stardew Valley
Standing in front of Leo's house, players can head to the east to discover an area with four pedestals and a rock shrine. Interacting with this shrine gives players information on the puzzle, informing them that the pedestals are associated with the cardinal direction of the island where the Gem Birds appear.
Placing the correct gem on each pedestal will resolve the puzzle and reward the player with 5 
Golden Walnuts. Fortunately, the gems used do not have to be the ones dropped by the Gem Birds. This puzzle can be resolved without the player seeing all four Gem Birds, as players can guess the remaining options with just two Gem Birds located. All they need to do is place different combinations of the remaining gems on the empty pedestals until the puzzle is solved.
Stardew Valley is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.