AngryBirdsNest FAQ

Welcome! The goal of this FAQ is to help you understand the ins and outs of AngryBirdsNest.com (ABN). There is actually a lot functionality built into ABN that may not be obvious when you first start using the site. A HUGE thanks to @mvnla2 for putting the time and effort into creating this, @chicadee for the idea, and everyone who contributed their questions and answers. This type of dedication is one of the reasons ABN is truly a unique community in the mobile gaming space.

Did we miss something? Got a question? Think there is something we should add to the FAQ? Leave a comment below.

Table of Contents

1. What is AngryBirdsNest.com? (Rules & More)
2. General Info
3. User Information
4. Commenting
5. Leaderboards
6. Challenge
7. Forum
8. Forum Rules
9. Walkthroughs
10. Bugs
11. Mighty Eagle
12. New Profile System

What is AngryBirdsNest?

AngryBirdsNest is the ultimate Angry Birds community and was built with permission of Rovio Entertainment Ltd., creators of Angry Birds. Be sure to check the main page for the latest news about updates, releases, and walkthroughs. AngryBirdsNest (aka ABN) offers the most comprehensive collection of Angry Birds walkthrough videos, guides, and tutorials anywhere… period.

ABN is truly a fan community: We all work together to help each other out, sharing strategies as well as competing. See comments under badges and ranking for a quick glimpse of the camaraderie on ABN.

Rules

There are just a few simple rules to follow:

1. Keep it clean. That means, no profanity and the like. Seriously, Angry Birds is a family game, so people of all ages come here. To that end, administrators may edit comments that include profanity and the like.  Continued abuse will result in your account being blocked.  Full discretion is left up to the moderators.
2. Keep it relevant. This is an Angry Birds fan site, not a place to talk about the weather.
3. Be nice. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t brag and boast about how great you are. It just means you have to do it without being a jerk. Also remember that written words can be easily misinterpreted; spend the time to make your comment nice, and give the other person the benefit of the doubt.

Who runs ABN?

The community is the soul of ABN.  We moderators just keep it inline and try to keep things moving forward.  The team members below are frequently referred to as “the admins.”  For more detail about each of us check out our bios. In short, we are:

• Bird Leader (@birdleader) created the site and is the ultimate decision authority, though he’s quite indecisive.
• Mighty Red (@mighty-red-1) is the main creator of the walkthrough videos and a gaming God.
• AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy) is the chief moderator and is better at math than you.

That can’t be all! Aren’t there more?

The admins all have superhuman powers when it comes to keeping this site running. We greatly rely on the ABN members, the passionate (and addicted) fans, to keep the site running day-to-day. Please join us and contribute!

General

How do I sign up for AngryBirdsNest?

You may register to become a member of AngryBirdsNest via the register button on the right side of the golden navigation bar.

What is the difference between username and nickname?

Your username is determined when you sign up for ABN. Once set, your username cannot be changed. This name appears in the URL of your profile.  For example, Bird Leader’s username is “angrypig”, so his profile URL is, https://www.angrybirdsnest.com/members/angrypig/.

Your nickname can be changed at any point. In most cases, your nickname is displayed when posting comments and on leaderboards (if it’s not, it’s likely a bug).  Again, Bird Leader is a good example, as “Bird Leader” is his nickname.

Most people will want their username and nickname to be the same, so just set it when you register. But if you ever do need to change your nickname, simply select “Edit Profile” from the dropdown menu under your username in the top-right corner.

How do I create and/or change my avatar / profile picture?

There are now two ways to create or change your avatar. Primarily, we use Gravatar and have a short instructional post to help you get this set up. Note that your avatar is loyal to your email address and not necessarily your ABN account.  Gravatar is a great service and is simple to use.  It’s also used by tens of thousands of sites around the web, so your Gravatar will travel with you.

Alternatively, there is an in-house system, accessible by choosing “Edit Profile” in the dropdown menu under your username in the top-right corner. Using the in-house system overrides the Gravatar system, but is not currently compatible with the forum. This system is loyal to your ABN account.

Can I be notified of new comments on a certain page? How can I adjust my subscriptions?

On the page of interest, navigate to the bottom of the page. In the comment box, you can write a comment and check the “Notify me of followup comments via email” box. You can also click on “Subscribe without commenting” to be notified of either followup or all new comments on that page.

At any point, you can manage your subscriptions on your personal subscriptions page. Note that in order to protect against spam, you now have to confirm your subscriptions to comments. We will send you an automated email with instructions.

User Information

What determines my rank?

Ranks depend on the number of points you have accumulated as a member of AngryBirdsNest.com. Five points are awarded on a 24-hour cycle for visiting the site while logged in, and five points are awarded for your first comment on any page. (Update: Raised to 10 points on a 24-hour cycle, since you guys are so awesome.) At this time, no points are awarded for forum or leaderboard activity, but perhaps in the future.  The admins can also manually assign and revoke points. Under no circumstances should people comment on a page just for the sake of commenting.  This is easy to recognize and will work against you.

* Note, this feature requires that you have an account and are signed in.  See the Badges and Ranking page for more information.

How do I get badges?

Badges are awarded to valuable members of the AngryBirdsNest.com community. These can only be awarded manually by administrators. If you think you know someone that deserves a badge feel free to let us know on the Badges and Ranking page.

* Note, this feature requires that you have an account and are signed in.

How can I tell how many points I have?

First off, you have to be signed in.  Once you are on the right hand side of the site at the top of sidebar look for, “My Rank”.  Click or tap on it and you’ll see a quick snapshot of how many points you have, your rank, and any badges you might have.

How do I figure out what platform people are playing on?

Users have the option of setting their primary gaming platform in their profile (e.g. iPhone, iPad, Android, etc). You can view a user’s profile by clicking on their nickname in either a comment or on the leaderboard. Alternatively, on the leaderboard, hovering over a user’s name to display their platform in the tooltip. It will also appear in various other places around the site.

Commenting

Do I need to sign up to comment on a page?

No, you can comment without being signed in. You need only enter a display name and an email address. However, if you are not signed in you’re missing out on a lot of functionality. For example, the date/time of other comments will not be visible, no scores will be present, and there will be no history of your comments on your profile. We firmly believe that it is in the user’s best interest to register and sign in.

I posted a comment and it says it is awaiting moderation. What does that mean?

This is a very useful feature that helps keep ABN free of those evil, vicious spammers. There are only a few ways that one could see this message. First, if you are using an email address that has never posted a comment before, then your comment will require moderation. Also, posting multiple links will require moderation, even if you are a well-established user. We apologize for this inconvenience, but it is a necessary feature to keep us all spam-free. Very rarely, users who abuse our hospitality can be manually added to the “must-moderate” list.

In general, so long as your comment is on topic, it will be approved quickly by any of the admins.

How can I post images of my high scores or strategies?

Registered users can upload their Angry Birds related images directly to their “Album” (located in your profile). Once you have uploaded an image “Embed” and “Link” code will appear below it (unless it’s marked as “Private”). If you want to include a thumbnail in a comment copy the image’s “Embed” URL and paste it into your comment field. Alternatively, if you only want to link to the image just copy the, “Link” URL. The latter is typically preferred.

Leaderboards

How do I enter scores on the leaderboards?

First off, you need to be logged in to post scores.  Once you are head to the leaderboard’s main page. There you can select your primary gaming device and choose the version of Angry Birds you want to enter scores for. Any platform can enter scores for any level, with only a few exceptions:

• The “Seasons” episodes as appearing on the “Chrome Beta” app should not be entered due to discrepancies. However, Chrome users are welcome to enter scores from the original Angry Birds app (Poached Eggs, Mighty Hoax, etc.).
• Facebook users should not enter their scores from the original Angry Birds app (Poached Eggs, Mighty Hoax) or Angry Birds Star Wars (Tatooine, Death Star). Instead, they may enter any scores (with or without Power Ups), on the two Facebook leaderboards we have.
• Users should be aware of the distinction of Surf and Turf. If you achieved the score on Facebook, it should go on the Facebook leaderboard. If you achieved it in the original Angry Birds app (v2.1.0 or later), it should go on the original Angry Birds leaderboard.
• Scores obtained using Power Ups are only permitted on our Facebook leaderboards. Please, do not enter scores obtained using Power-Ups on any other leaderboard.

How many scores do I need to enter? Any suggestions on how to do this quickly?

We suggest entering at least one episode worth of scores. Entering stray, random scores is commonly viewed as suspicious behavior, making any Top Scores seem less credible.

Unfortunately, at this time there is no automatic way to transfer scores from the game to the leaderboard. Not only would this require a decryption system from Rovio, it would still not be perfect and foolproof. The easiest way to enter scores is to use two devices: The one you play on to view the score, and another to enter the scores on ABN.

Is there a required minimum score I should receive on a level before entering it on the leaderboard?

No. While many users only enter 3-star scores, entering all scores for a particular episode allows you to compare your scores against other ABN users. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but entering stray or random scores will raise flags.

I entered a few scores on the leaderboard and now they’re gone and I didn’t remove them. What gives?

There are a couple reasons why this could happen:

1. From time to time we do purge the leaderboards of users who have only entered one or two scores. We recommend that you always enter at least five scores, but more is always better, especially if you don’t want to seem suspicious.
2. Your scores could have been flagged by the community and/or a moderator. Scores ARE NOT automatically removed, but if they do seems suspicious a moderator may have removed them. They may have also emailed your email address on file asking for proof (have you checked?).
3. Occasionally, scores are also purged from users who have not been active for more than 2-3 years. Also, these scores are removed to reset the scoring algorithms, so that other player may have a better chance of achieving the average score or better, in any given level.

I see a suspicious score on the leaderboard. What should I do?

It depends on the apparent severity of the offense, but the first course of action should be to look at the individual level leaderboard. To do this, click on the level number on the left side of the leaderboard. If the questionable score is only slightly above the pack, it is likely fine. If it still seems too high, you can either flag the score (click the flag on the right side of the leaderboard) or let us know via the comments section. Flagging is a silent and subtle alert which we check periodically but not frequently. Comments are not so silent and typically result in quick investigation.

To avoid suspicion, we’re asking that those who obtain a top score leave a comment on that level’s walkthrough page detailing the strategy used AND provide a link to a screenshot of the 3-star score tally, which appears after you complete a level. Screenshots must show the initial highscore tally directly below the 3 stars. An exception to this is to provide a screenshot of remaining debris before remaining birds are counted, and the level times out to the tally screen.
If no comment AND proof of high score (screenshot of 3-star tally) is provided, your score will be removed.

How can I quickly get from the leaderboards to walkthrough videos?

Click on the “3-star” in the far-right column of the leaderboard.

Is there any way for me to submit / update a score to the leaderboard from the walkthrough pages?

Actually, yes!  On the individual walkthrough pages scroll down below the video, but above the comments. If enabled — which it is for most levels — below the light yellow toolbar you’ll see, “Submit your score for this level to the leaderboard” or if you’ve already submitted a score you’ll see, “Your last score entered for this level was [your score]”.  Just click or tap this area and you’ll be able to enter and/or update your score.

AngryBirdsNest Challenge

Where can I play the ABN “Challenge” level?

The Challenge level must be played on your own device (such as iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, etc.). We don’t offer any version of Angry Birds directly playable here. All are welcome to compete, but be aware of the restrictions explained in the preceding questions in this section.

What is this “Underdog” badge mentioned in the ABN “Challenge”?

AngryBirdsNest has a new badge called the Underdog Badge. This list celebrates those users who, above all odds, overcame the existing Top Score of the daily challenge, submitted a strategy to help the community, and included proof of their score to solidify their spot in history! We bow before their flinging excellence, unworthy.

To be awarded an Underdog, you must beat the current High Score as shown on the Challenge page. Your high score must be entered in the leaderboard BEFORE the clock runs out. You must provide proof of your score by explaining your strategy on that level’s walkthrough page AND provide a link to the screenshot of the 3-star tally page as explained above.

Advent Calendar Challenge

Beginning December 1st through December 25th, we are carrying on the tradition of Rovio’s Advent Calendar challenges. Players can earn a special “Holly Dog” badge for beating the top score, much like the Underdog badges. HOWEVER, a Holly Dog badge can be earned only once, no matter how many times the top score is beaten.

Walkthroughs

Rules for walkthroughs

Please DO NOT leave comments listing your score without telling in detail how you got them, even if it is simply giving credit to an existing method. If you only want to enter your scores, please use the leaderboard.

Why can’t I get even the average score by following the walkthrough?

The walkthroughs are intended to show you just one way to get three stars. It is typically the method that we believe to be the most obvious or easiest solution. Sometimes there are alternate strategies and even videos posted in the walkthrough or leaderboard comments that will help you get a higher score. Most members do not have the ability to create videos, so cherish those who do. Written descriptions can be quite useful, so don’t ignore them if you are competing for a high score.

If you’ve achieved a high score yourself, be a pal and submit your strategy too.

How can I quickly find alternate strategies?

When posting an alternate strategy, the user should check ‘alternate strategy’ under the comment section. When posted, the thread background will be pale blue instead of white. So when looking for an alternate strategy in the comments, you can scroll down until you find a blue thread. This feature was implemented quite recently, so there may still be alternate strategies listed in white. In the future there may also be a way to filter comments by type (i.e. only show “Strategy Comments”).

How can I quickly get from walkthroughs to the leaderboard?

There are a few relatively quick ways. In the textual description of the walkthrough, there is typically a link to the leaderboard. Otherwise, you can use the “Leaderboard” pulldown menu in the main navigation bar in the header. Another method still is to click on the Top Score below the video.

Why do the walkthroughs for the older levels have so few comments?

The walkthroughs for the older levels were originally posted with several levels in a single video. The multi-level pages can be found at the end of the episode’s listing. No new comments can be made, but you can see some alternative strategies explained.

Forum

How do I create a new discussion in the forum?

Within the forum click on the relevant forum you want to post a topic in, then click, “Create New Topic”. You can also create topics form within an existing forum by scrolling all the way to the bottom.

How can I contact another user directly?

This can be done in a few ways. On any page, you can “@ mention” another user by including “@username” in a comment or in the Activity stream. These are called public messages. For private messaging, you can do so via the profile system. Note that you must be friends with the other user.

We hope to extend this functionality to the main site. Until that time, not everyone knows of this existing functionality or checks it regularly.

Forum Rules

• Treat other members with respect – treat others like you would like to be treated.
• The forum language is English only – please only post in other languages in PM
• Please do not spam. Spam is defined as an irrelevant or commercial post. Posts considered spam will be removed.
• Please do not post text in all CAPS. Nobody likes to be yelled at.
• Racist, sexist, offensive, insults, or personal attacks (bashing) against anyone will not be tolerated.
• Do not post any religious or political comments. We don’t need an angry mob in the Nest.
• Like the rest of AngryBirdsNest.com, profanity of any kind is NOT allowed. Remember, this is a family-friendly website, and children often visit here without your knowledge.
• Please do not post inappropriate material.
• AngryBirdsNest.com may change these rules at any time without notice.

Bugs

See the list of level glitches and bugs.  On this page you can report a bug that you’ve found, check existing bugs, and see which bugs have been resolved. Click or tap a bug to expand and see more details.

Mighty Eagle

Is the Mighty Eagle, Mighty Dragon, and Space Eagle available on my device?

As of March 2012, the Mighty Eagle is available for iOS, NOOK Color, T-Mobile Android devices, Chrome Beta, and Facebook. To see more specific details about the availability and usage of the Mighty Eagle, refer to the Mighty Eagle: Explained post.

The Mighty Dragon is a supplement for the Mighty Eagle in Angry Birds Seasons: Year of the Dragon. It is available for free on iOS, Android, and Symbian^3.

The Space Eagle was introduced in Angry Birds Space.  At this time it functions differently than the Mighty Eagle and Mighty Dragon and is not unlimited use.  We have a bunch of information about the Space Eagle here.

Does the Mighty Eagle, Mighty Dragon, or Space Eagle add points to your score?

No. The Mighty Eagle has two functions: It allows you to pass a level you are stuck on, but it also lets you play for sort of mini-game to earn total destruction and an eagle feather.

For more information, refer to the Mighty Eagle: Explained post.

The New Profile System

For the original post about this update, see the post entitled AngryBirdsNest Just Got A Lot More Social.

Activity

There are two main “activity” areas. The first is on the general “Activity” page, which can be accessed via the “Community” dropdown menu in the main nav. The other is on your own profile. For those familiar with it, the activity section may seem similar to Facebook’s news feed. It’s a cool place to check out the latest things happening around the site. You can see peoples comments, status messages, and much more. You can even “Reply” and “Favorite” certain activity items. A “Reply” is much like a comment, but only appears in the activity section. When you “Favorite” something it will be saved in your profile under the Activity -> Favorites menu. This is a great way to bookmark things you like and access them quickly down the road. If anyone has mentioned you (@username) you’ll see another tab on this page called, “Mentions”. As the name implies, this tab will only show those activity items where you’re mentioned. You can also see who has mentioned you via your profile: Activity -> Mentions.

Profiles

From your profile you can post status updates, manage your details, change your notification settings, and access to your friends list, messages, and favorites. Head over another user’s profile to view their status updates, send them a friend request, or private / public message. While a private message is self explanatory, a public message works much like Twitter. If you chose to public message someone it will post to your activity feed AND show up on the user’s profile under “Mentions”.

Albums

Registered users can upload Angry Birds related images directly to their “Album”, which is appropriately located under the “Album” tab in your profile. Below are some details:

• You can upload JPG and PNG files
• The upload limit is currently set to 80MB
• There are privacy options available when uploading images
• “Embed” and “Link” code is shown unless the image is marked as, “Private” (more on how to use this this below)
• The uploader currently only supports only one image at a time and DOES NOT rotate your images.

Embed / Link code: Once you have uploaded an image “Embed” and “Link” code will appear below it (unless it’s marked as “Private”). If you want to include a thumbnail in a comment copy the image’s “Embed” URL and paste it into your comment field. Alternatively, if you only want to link to the image just copy the, “Link” URL. The latter is typically preferred.

The “Link” URL is also handy for sharing on other websites or social networks.

Notifications

By default you will receive notification emails when certain things happen on the site. If you don’t want to receive these emails you CAN easily disable them by heading to your profile then clicking: Settings -> Notifications. Currently, you’ll receive notification emails for the following actions: A member mentions you in an update using “@username”, replies to an update or comment you’ve posted, sends you a new message, sends you a friendship request, or accepts your friendship request, or if new site notice is posted.

Members Directory

The Members Directory is a place to see and search the existing AngryBirdsNest members. When on this page be sure to pay close attention to the “Order by” dropdown menu on the top right. What you have selected in this dropdown also affects the scope of your search. That said, if you can’t find someone chances are you have “Last Active” or “Newest Registered” selected. If you do, change it to “Alphabetical” and search again. The “Alphabetical” option allows you to search through all members. If you find someone you’d like to be friends with click, “Add Friend”. Don’t abuse this or I will remove it and you will get banned.