10 Rare and Expensive Birds in MTG

10. Maha, Its Feathers Night  #289 ($16.05)

Starting strong with an absolutely stunning version of Maha, Its Feathers Night from the bloomburrow set. I absolutely adore the sketchbook and watercolor theme on this card; it’s instantly recognizable and unmistakable. Not to mention that 3 generic mana and 2 black mana for a 6/5 creature with Flying, Trample, and that makes your opponents’ creatures only have a base toughness of 1? Worth it. Legal in every format except Pauper and Penny.

9. Clockwork Avian #45 ($23.98)

This version of Clockwork Avian, released in the antiquities set, actually has a misprint on it; the illustrator’s name, Randy Asplund-Faith, is incorrectly labeled as “Randy Apslund-Faith.” Otherwise, there isn’t too much interesting about this one. Five mana is a bit overpriced for what it’s able to deliver. Pretty art though. Legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Oathbreaker, and Penny formats.

8. Falco Spara, Pactweaver #372 ($26.75)

Now this is one fancy high-flyer you don’t want to mess with. As far as birds go, this guy’s alright. 1 generic, 1 green, 1 white, 1 blue for a 3/3 flyer with trample that lets you look at the top of your library at any time, and cast said spell? Very, very nifty. Not to mention the gilded treatment this card has, a Streets of New Capena exclusive treatment. Legal in every format except Standard, Alchemy, and Pauper.

7. Aven Mindcensor #2 ($39.87)

Now, I know what you’re thinking. First: that’s a beautiful card, second: how do you even read that! The letters are all there up top; it’s just a little funky looking due to this card’s special treatment, which was a part of the Amonkhet Invocation set. I really love the Egyptian look to this, making it a very worthwhile addition in my book. Legal in every format except Standard, Alchemy, and Pauper.

6. Kastral, the Windcrested #350 ($89.42)

Only four birds in and the prices are already starting to climb; don’t worry, they’re only going to get more and more expensive. This little guy is perfect for a full bird deck, with its ability allowing you to continually play bird cards from your hand or graveyard so long as you keep attacking with the birds you already have. Legal in every format except Pauper.

5. Zinnia, Valley’s Voice #104 ($124.31)

Just look at this little guy; I can already imagine them just stomping around with their little feet, playing on their little lute, just having a good time with their friends. Only costing 1 blue, 1 red, and 1 white to cast, I think this is a very fair price to pay for a creature that will enable you to repeatedly buff it by casting other creature spells and paying the offspring cost. Legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and Oathbreaker.

4. Roc of Kher Ridges #171 ($158.29)

3 Generic mana and 1 red for a 3/3 flyer? Wondering what the big deal is and why this old card is worth so much? Well, that is because this Roc of Kher Ridges is actually from the Limited Edition Beta set, which was only the second printed set of Magic: The Gathering cards ever. While the artwork for this card is nice, I’d recommend buying one of the cheaper reprints instead unless you’re a hardcore enthusiast. Legal in Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and Oathbreaker formats.

3. Oracle of the Alpha #259 ($243.25)

Another big price jump, and this time, there’s no question as to why. Oracle of the Alpha allows you to conjure the iconic Power Nine into your library, an outright busted effect. And for only a total of three mana? Totally insane. There’s no question as to why this card is only allowed in the Historic, Brawl, and Timeless formats.

2. Birds of Paradise #344z ($799.67)

Get a load of this little gem right here: a serialized foil variant of the classic card Birds of Paradise from Ravnica Remastered. If you have one of these, just know I am full of envy. Such a beautiful card, with an outrageous price on it. Don’t worry, though, the other reprints of Birds of Paradise are much cheaper. Usually. Legal in every format except Standard, Pioneer, Alchemy, and Pauper.

1. Traveling Chocobo #551 ($5,321.44.)

Yes, that is correct. No, you did not read the price tag wrong. This is the mythic rare Japanese foil variant of Traveling Chocobo, worth five thousand three hundred twenty-one dollars and forty-four cents. Just one card, worth a small fortune. I hope no one had a heart attack after pulling this in their Final Fantasy collectors booster.

Bonus! Golden Traveling Chocobo #551f

And here we are, the ultimate bird of MTG. The number 1 chase card of the Final Fantasy set. Only seventy-seven of these cards exist. It is truly the biggest catch in the entire set. I doubt anyone could pull this without passing out from sheer excitement. Now, I’m sure you want to know how much it would cost to get your hands on a card like this, right? Brace yourself. At the time of writing this, there is just one for sale, listed at three hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars ($399,999). Truly enough money to live on.

An absolutely wild card to pull. I don’t think my heart could handle the stress if I pulled one myself! Thank you for joining me on this feathery expedition on MTG’s most expensive Birds. I hope you leave with a few new favorite birds and maybe even a few new card goals.