Can Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot be shiny in Pokemon GO? (February 2023)

With a new month comes a new wave of events for Pokemon GO. One of the more underappreciated weekly highlights for the mobile game is the Spotlight Hour. Occurring once a week, it gives players an hour to catch their fill of a creature that Niantic chooses. For the upcoming iteration, they will be able to get their hands on Pidgey, the original Flying-type Pokemon.

Though initially rather underwhelming compared to previously spotlighted candidates, Pidgey has become less and less common as early-game creatures from other regions make their way to Niantic's mobile title. As such, newer players may not remember the early days where it seemed that every wild encounter was either a Caterpie or a Pidgey.

Some may set their sights higher than just a simple Pokedex completion. Trainers may aim to attempt to get their hands on the rare shiny variant of Pidgey and its evolutions in Pokemon GO. Niantic is notoriously picky with which shiny Pokemon they let in the mobile game, so players may need to do a bit of research before they start their hunt.

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Tips for finding Shiny Pidgey and its evolutions in Pokemon GO

Pidgeot as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

It has been confirmed that trainers will be able to find Pidgey in its shiny form throughout the Spotlight Hour's duration. However, finding the rare varieties of its two evolutions comes with complications of their own. Nonetheless, the hunt for this rare type of the common bird Pokemon can be held. So, how can players catch it?

Unfortunately, there is no direct way for players to increase the chance for Shiny Pokemon to spawn in the title. Their best option is to use a variety of game mechanics to increase the general spawn rate of an area. By using this method, players do not increase the chance for a Shiny Pokemon to spawn, but decrease the amount of time it would take for one to hypothetically appear.

One of the more underconsidered ways players can do this is by looking for optimal weather conditions. A quick check of the forecast can make a huge difference when it comes to finding creatures of a particular element in Pokemon GO, thanks to the game's weather-boost feature.

Since Pidgey is a Normal and Flying-type Pokemon, it has the highest chance of spawning in areas currently experiencing partly cloudy and windy weather.

Another precaution players can take to make the most of their short time limit is to stock up on spawn rate-boosting consumables. Incenses and Lure Modules play a huge role when it comes to shiny hunting, especially on a time limit like during a Spotlight Hour or Community Day event.

Incenses work by attaching themselves to the player to increase the general spawn rate of the area around them for as long as they remain mobile. Lure Modules work in a similar fashion but attach to Pokestops and do not require the player to remain mobile in order to receive the benefits.

As far as getting shiny forms of Pidgey's evolutions goes, the best way to go about it during the Spotlight Hour in Pokemon GO would be to find a Shiny Pidgey. From there, players can use the boosted spawn rate generated by the event to farm for the needed candies in order to evolve it. In total, they will need 62 Pidgey Candies to fully evolve it into Pidgeot.