Pokémon Legends: Z‑A Is Spawning Shiny Pidgey Nonstop — Players Are Not Impressed

Players of Pokémon Legends: Z-A are reporting that their first shinies are often Pidgey, a common early-game bird. Across social posts, many say the game is handing out Pidgey in its alternate colorway more than other shinies, and several players describe finding multiple shiny Pidgey in short stretches of play.
First shiny: Pidgey shows up a lot
Several players say the first shiny they encountered in Legends: Z-A was a Pidgey, the franchise’s familiar brown bird. Because Pidgey is a common early spawn, many reports note it appears as the first alternate-color encounter rather than a rarer or more visually striking Pokémon.
For comparison, some players point to shinies like Mega Dragonite as more eye-catching. For reference, a social post showing a striking shiny example appeared online:
Shiny Mega Dragonite✨#PokemonLegendsZA pic.twitter.com/RkUdED1gII
— Kevolution✨ (@_kevolution_) October 14, 2025
Where and how common
Pidgey tends to spawn in predictable locations, such as rooftops and lamp posts. Therefore, multiple players in the same area can report finding shiny Pidgey in similar spots. In addition, other early-route Pokémon—like Fletchling or Scatterbug—also show up frequently as shinies, which aligns with their high spawn rates in the game.
Some players noticed a shiny Pidgey in official promotional footage, which may make the appearance feel scripted to some observers. However, those clips may simply have captured a common spawn during production.
A shiny Pidgey appears in the Japanese trailer. pic.twitter.com/bpyTnzomDy
— Light (@Light_88_) October 3, 2025
Player reactions and quotes
Players have been posting short reports and screenshots. For example, one player said their first shiny was a Pidgey and expressed disappointment while using the original wording:
“first shiny pokemon and its f*cking pidgey,”
first shiny pokemon and its fucking pidgey.#PokemonZA pic.twitter.com/hPGrWtSuuO
— 𝅙 (@JUU5HA) October 16, 2025
Others are surprised to see Pidgey evolve into shiny Pidgeotto and Pidgeot:
“I got a shiny Pidgey and now a shiny Pidgeotto, what is this?”
Me salió Pidgey shiny y ahora Pidgeotto shiny esto qué es https://t.co/k9STjAYjw6
— MOF VGC (@mothalbete) October 14, 2025
Multiple-find reports are common. Some players say they encountered more than one shiny Pidgey within minutes:
“Was literally shiny hunting an alpha Pidgey… Got one. Strolled around town. Just to find another shiny Pidgey sitting on a lamp post. Bruh.”
Man I feel you
Was literally shiny hunting an alpha Pidgey.
Got one.
Strolled around town.
Just to find another shiny Pidgey sitting on a lamp post. Bruh
— Kyu (@kyusetzu) October 16, 2025
Another player wrote in all caps after a short session:
“I WAS ONLY ZONE RESETING FOR LESS THAN 3 MINUTES AND I ALREADY FOUND FOUND ANOTHER SHINY,”
I WAS ONLY ZONE RESETING FOR LESS THAN 3 MINUTES AND I ALREADY FOUND FOUND ANOTHER SHINY 😭
first it was espurr and now it’s pidgey!#PokemonLegendsZA pic.twitter.com/dpYf1MoM3e
— Willow 🕊️ (@Captain_Phyco) October 16, 2025
Several posts collecting examples and discussions of the trend have appeared across social media, indicating it’s a visible pattern for early players.
Lamppost shiny pidgey pic.twitter.com/4EprIKrmmH
— Jason ✨ (@JCBLPs) October 16, 2025
My first shiny, Pidgey #PokemonZA #PokemonLegendZA pic.twitter.com/rpiLuGnQ3u
— W1d0w (@W1d0wPlays) October 16, 2025
24 horas de shiny hunt pra uma espurr… até agora 2 pidgey 1 ekans 1 spinarak e 1 skiddo… https://t.co/FbWn25yaEs pic.twitter.com/in1vQ5GojA
— Hiru (@NerfHiru) October 16, 2025
IS THE SHINY PIDGEY ON THE ROOFTOP SCRIPTED??????
— Kyle (@Gibbonz1TTV) October 16, 2025
Random shiny Litleo lol. Not what I wanted for my first ZA shin, but it’s not Pidgey, so I don’t care lol pic.twitter.com/DpsaWgEES1
— MJ (@MintyOwlett) October 16, 2025
Shiny mechanics reported early
Early reports suggest Legends: Z-A may be more forgiving about shiny spawns: shinies reportedly do not disappear if you leave the area or if time passes. That detail changes how players approach hunting and how frustrating it can feel to miss a capture.
Because of this persistence, players who accidentally fail to capture a shiny or who are unsure how to reach a distant spawn have voiced annoyance about lost opportunities.
RIP Shiny Pidgey#PokemonLegendsZA pic.twitter.com/35isUXsRoz
— HollowLombax (@EchotheLombax) October 15, 2025
My first Pokemon Legends ZA Shiny is an uncatchable shiny pidgey <3 pic.twitter.com/YkeAfoXGTn
— Cal (@HoodlumCallum) October 15, 2025
Summary of the situation
In short: multiple players have reported Pidgey as a common first shiny in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The apparent frequency likely comes from Pidgey’s high spawn rate and predictable locations. Additionally, early notes about shiny persistence mean missed captures can feel especially frustrating, but they do not necessarily indicate intentional scripting.
Still, some players are sharing their experiences and screenshots across social posts, while others are reporting more pleasing early shinies. For example, one player shared their excitement despite the common pick:
“Nothing like playing Z-A and hearing the shiny sound…. it was a damn Pidgey on a light.”
Nothing like playing ZA and hearing the shiny sound XD I looked everywhere for it and it was a damn pidgey on a light lol first time ever getting a shiny during main play for me so definitely will have to use it
— Arru (@Arrekasu) October 16, 2025
