You're wandering around Marunweem Lake, probably hunting for some obscure collection chest or a stray Infamous Foe, and you see her. Marianne Moffett. She’s standing there looking just a bit too concerned about a bird. Most players honestly just sprint past these NPCs. We’ve all got ancient magic to master and a goblin rebellion to quash, right? But skipping the Birds of a Feather Hogwarts Legacy side quest is a mistake if you care about your Vivarium or, more importantly, your completionist soul.
It’s not some grand, world-altering narrative. It’s smaller. More personal.
Basically, Marianne is worried about a specific Diricawl. Not just any Diricawl, though. She’s obsessed with "Gwyneira," a bird she claims is too beautiful for this world and specifically too beautiful for the local poachers. You’ve probably seen Diricawls before—those plump, flightless birds that look like dodos had a neon-colored baby. They teleport when they’re scared. It’s annoying.
Finding the Gwyneira's Den
The quest starts in the southeastern portion of the world map. If you haven't unlocked the Marunweem Lake Floo Flame yet, you're in for a long broom ride. You’ll find Marianne in the Marunweem settlement itself. She talks a big game about animal welfare, but if you pay attention to her tone, it’s a little… off.
Once you accept, the game marks a Diricawl Den on your map. It’s further south.
Don't go during the day. Seriously. Gwyneira only shows up at night. If you arrive and the sun is out, just open your map and hit the "Wait" prompt. It’s a waste of time to run around the rocks hoping she'll spawn early.
How to Actually Catch the Bird
When night falls, the den fills up with white and blue birds. Gwyneira stands out because she’s stark white and sparkles a bit. She’s fancy.
Here is where people mess up.
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Diricawls are twitchy. The second you get close, they vanish and reappear twenty feet away. If you just run at her with your Nab-Sack open, you’re going to spend ten minutes chasing a ghost.
- Step 1: Use Disillusionment. Sneak up.
- Step 2: Cast Levioso or Arresto Momentum. This is the "expert" move.
- Step 3: Whip out the Nab-Sack.
Unlike a standard Puffskein that requires one button prompt, Gwyneira has four. FOUR. If you don’t freeze her in place with a spell, she will teleport halfway through your capture sequence and reset the whole thing. It’s frustrating. It's honestly one of the few times the Nab-Sack feels like a struggle.
The Moral Dilemma at the Finish Line
Once you have the bird, you head back to Marianne. This is where Birds of a Feather Hogwarts Legacy gets interesting from a role-playing perspective.
Marianne wants the bird back. She wants to "protect" it. But as you talk to her, it becomes pretty clear she mostly wants to keep it as a trophy. She’s a bit of a collector in a way that feels slightly gross.
You have three choices here.
You can just give Gwyneira over. Marianne is happy, you get some XP, and you move on with your life.
You can give her back but demand a reward. If you’re playing a "darker" character or just need the Galleons for those expensive potion recipes at J. Pippin's, this is the way to go. You’ll get 300-500 Galleons depending on how much you push.
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Then there’s the third option: keeping the bird for yourself.
If you choose to keep Gwyneira, Marianne loses her mind. She shouts. She calls you a thief. It’s hilarious and a little bit satisfying because she’s clearly not the best bird-mom. If you keep her, Gwyneira goes into your Nab-Sack, and you can release her into one of your Vivariums back at the Room of Requirement.
Why You Should Keep Gwyneira
Let’s be real. Your Vivarium is a better place for a rare bird than a cage in Marunweem.
Gwyneira is a "Shiny" variant. In the game’s code, she’s a unique spawn, but she functions like any other Diricawl. You can brush her. You can feed her. She produces Diricawl Feathers, which you’ll need for upgrading your gear at the Enchanted Loom.
If you care about the aesthetics of your Room of Requirement, having a unique, named white Diricawl wandering around your beach or forest biome is a nice flex.
Navigating the Technical Side
Sometimes the quest glitches. I’ve seen reports of Marianne simply not appearing or the Diricawl Den failing to trigger the Gwyneira spawn even at night.
If this happens, the old "turn it off and on again" trick works best. Save your game nearby, completely close Hogwarts Legacy, and reload. It usually forces the NPC scripts to reset. Also, make sure you aren't in combat with any nearby trolls or bandits. The game won't let you trigger quest dialogue if there’s a red arrow on your mini-map.
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The rewards are standard: 180 XP and the "Diricawl Statue" spellcraft for your Room of Requirement.
It’s not a lot of XP. By the time you reach Marunweem, you’re likely level 20 or 30. 180 XP is a drop in the bucket. But the spellcraft is essential if you’re trying to max out your collection log for the "Collector's Edition" trophy/achievement.
Final Strategy for Completionists
If you want to maximize this quest, don't rush it. Wait until you have the second or third Vivarium unlocked.
Why? Because the Diricawls look best in the coastal biome.
Also, consider your reputation. While Hogwarts Legacy doesn't have a formal "Morality Meter" like Red Dead Redemption or Fable, the way NPCs react to you does change based on these side quests. Keeping the bird makes you look like a jerk to Marianne, but arguably a hero to the bird.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
Check your Map. If you haven't cleared the "Tombs" in the Marunweem area, do that immediately after finishing this quest. The loot scaling in this region is significantly higher than around Hogsmeade.
Verify your Collection Log. If you gave the bird back and didn't get the Diricawl Statue, check your inventory. Sometimes the notification doesn't pop up if you skip the dialogue too fast.
Lastly, head back to your Room of Requirement. Use the feathers Gwyneira (or any Diricawl) gives you to add secondary traits to your gear. Focus on "Binding" or "Control" traits—they make those four-tap captures much easier in the future.