Try birdwatching in Red Dead Redemption 2

American robins are quite common in North America; their cheerful trills are common tunes sang in neighborhoods and cities. You may hear their songs before you see them yourself, though they’re not necessarily hard to spot either: Their distinct orange bellies make them some of the easiest birds to recognize. I see them everywhere — even right now. My desk looks out into my neighbor’s backyard — a peek of the bird feed in between branches of trees. Out of all the birds I see in my neighborhood, robins are the ones I spot the most.

This week on Polygon, we’re looking at games that feel like vacations for your brain in a package we’re calling Retreat Week.

That’s part of the reason I was so surprised when I took up birding in Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2; despite being a common bird, they’re surprisingly hard to find in the game. There are pages of guides, tons of YouTube videos, and lengthy forum posts for and from frustrated people looking for the elusive bird: Near the river in Annesburg, perhaps, or the banks in Blackwater. Otherwise, check the Aurora Basin in West Elizabeth or a particular stretch of Ringneck Creek.

As one person on a Reddit thread wrote, “You could spend hours looking here and not get any. Or get very few.” That seems to be applicable in so, so many places — perhaps, just like in real life for most birds.

Though certain birds may be hard to find in Red Dead Redemption 2, that doesn’t negate that fact that birding is particularly good in the game. Rockstar Games took particular care to ensure accuracy in both looks and habitat. You’ll hear a bird, then pull out binoculars to seek out its hiding spot. When protagonist Arthur Morgan spots a new bird, he’ll make a quick sketch in his journal, recording the new creature he sees in the wilderness. They’re quick, gestural sketches in the field; a type of recording familiar to some real-life birders.

Despite the game being released seven years ago, I haven’t played a game since that’s so accurately rendered the experience of a birder. I could spend hours riding a horse from location to location, listening and assessing bird calls, spotting wings in the distance and pulling out my binoculars to look closer. And if you’re looking for a retreat into nature, maybe an entrance into real-life birding, you should give it a try, too.