What are the spyglass advancements in Minecraft?

Implemented into Minecraft with the recent 1.17 update, the spyglass is a great new tool for gamers to use. A spyglass can be crafted using two copper ingots and one amethyst shard, both new additions with the update.

A spyglass helps players zoom into objects at a distance. This is an aspect of the game that Minecraft fans have been suggesting for years now, and Mojang has finally introduced it into the game. While many gamers had previously opted to add the zoom feature through the use of the popular OptiFine mod, zooming in is now part of vanilla Minecraft thanks to the spyglass.

Along with the addition of the spyglass comes brand new advancements for players to collect as well. These advancements give players more incentive to utilize their spyglass, and they are unique tasks to complete. The Minecraft spyglass advancements will be explained below.

---

A guide to the spyglass advancements in Minecraft

Is it a bird?

It is definitely a bird (Image via Minecraft)

The advancement appropriately titled ‘Is it a bird?’ is achieved when players spy a parrot while looking through a spyglass.

This is the only overworld spyglass advancement so far, and yet it is perhaps the most difficult of them all to obtain. This is because parrots can only be found in jungle biomes, and jungle biomes are among the rarest biomes in all of Minecraft. Therefore, it may take a long while to get this particular advancement unlocked in a typical Minecraft world.

---

Is it a balloon?

Is that a ghast or a balloon (Image via Minecraft)

Named after the shape of the mob, ‘Is it a balloon?’ is achieved when a player sees a ghast through a spyglass. This advancement is one of the many that can only be accomplished in the nether.

Minecraft players know that ghasts are hard to miss because of how large and loud they are. Gamers will have to go out of their way to zoom in on them with a spyglass in order to unlock this advancement. Players should be careful and speedy when seeking this advancement though, since ghasts are quick to shoot at players.

---

Is it a plane?

That is one scary looking plane (Image via Minecraft)

‘Is it a plane?’ is the advancement given to players upon looking at the ender dragon through a spyglass. Being that the ender dragon is only found in the end, this completes the trifecta of spyglass advancements since all three of them must be completed in different Minecraft dimensions.

Like a ghast, the ender dragon is hard to miss given its sheer size. However, using a spyglass to find the ender dragon could be a useful strategy to keep up with the dragon’s whereabouts if done quickly. Since the end is dark and the dragon loves to fly far and wide, players might be able to spot the dragon from further distances with a spyglass.