Hesperornis
Misc · 17 maps
Overview
The Hesperornis is a small piscivorous creature with a passive taming method. It is notable for its unique dive attack, allowing it to swiftly catch fish from beneath the water's surface. This makes it ideal for survivors focused on efficient fishing and aquatic mobility.
It can be airlifted by Quetzal or Karkinos for fast deployment.
Spawn Locations
17 mapsHesperornis spawns in desert and freshwater biomes across 17 ARK maps. It is considered uncommon, meaning players may need to explore multiple locations to find one. The green zones on the spawn map indicate the highest spawn density.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Hesperornis is tamed passively by killing a fish and dragging its body to the bird for consumption. The size of the fish matters, with larger fish being more effective; the Sabertooth Salmon is the most efficient option. Raw Mutton also works if better fish are unavailable.
The process takes about 12 Sabertooth Salmons. Use the calculator below for your settings.
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing a Hesperornis yields Hide, Raw Meat, and Organic Polymer. The Hatchet yields the most Hide, while the Club and Dino (Polymer) are best for harvesting Organic Polymer.
| Resource |  Pick |  Hatchet |  Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40%~4~4 hits | 60%~6~3 hits | 40%~2~20 hits | |
| 60%~5~4 hits | 40%~3~3 hits | 60%~3~20 hits | |
| 40%~2~4 hits | 30%~2~3 hits | 130%~13~20 hits | |
| 70%~5~4 hits | 40%~3~3 hits | 150%~23~20 hits |
Estimates based on game-extracted data (weights, quantities, harvest multipliers, damage type chains). Each harvest event independently rolls each resource - higher weight = higher drop chance. Actual yields vary with RNG.
Damage Resistances
Hesperornis has a +120% weakness to Instant HurtDinos, making it highly vulnerable to explosive damage sources. It is also weak to Melee DmgMetal RaidDino and Explosion Demolition, taking +55% and +50% more damage respectively. It resists Mining Drill Harvest completely, taking -100% damage from it.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)0.5 base × 15.9 level × 4 × 1.25× wild kill × 1× server
Server Settings(Game.ini)
Official servers use non-1× defaults; the values above already reflect official rates.
| Stat | Base (Lv.1) | Wild +/Lv | Tamed +/Lv |
|---|---|---|---|
 Health | 95.0 | +19.00 | +4.00% |
 Stamina | 200.0 | +20.00 | +2.00% |
 Torpidity | 300.0 | +18.00 | +0.00% |
 Food | 900.0 | +90.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 70.0 | +1.40 | +0.80% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 100.0% | +5.00% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.00% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The head has a damage multiplier of 3x, making headshots highly effective for faster knockouts. Focus attacks on the head when stunning the creature.
Can Damage
Can break Thatch and Wood. Build at least in Stone.
Thatch
Wood
Stone
Metal
Tek| Attack | Base | Thatch | Wood | Stone | Metal | Tek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land BiteCarnivore | 1 | 5.5 | 3.0 | — | — | — |
| Dive BiteCarnivore Small | 25 | 137.5 | — | — | — | — |
| Atop Water BiteCarnivore | 10 | 55.0 | 30.0 | — | — | — |
Numbers reflect base melee at level 1, 100% TE, no imprint. The damage calculator lets you scale by melee %, server multipliers, and pick a specific structure for exact hit counts.
Tools & Guides
Hesperornis Tips & Tricks
The Dive Bite attack deals 25 damage and has a 0.2 second cooldown, making it effective in close combat.
It takes +120% more damage from explosive sources, so avoid placing it near demolition defenses.
The Hesperornis is completely immune to damage from Mining Drill Harvest.
It can be carried by Quetzal or Karkinos for rapid transport over long distances.
This page details the Hesperornis's stats, taming, breeding, harvest specs, and combat data. For precise planning, refer to the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map located on this page.