In the Talons of the Big Bird

Learn how to get the 'In the Talons of the Big Bird' star in Super Mario 64. This guide covers navigating quicksand, Tox Boxes, and catching Klepto.

Alright, let's grab this star in Shifting Sand Land! When you start, you'll be on a stone platform in the sand. See that hopping box with a face? It's right near you. Head to your right, past some Bob-Ombs and a Fly Guy, until you reach a stone structure. There's a quicksand whirlpool by it, but don't worry too much – you can jump out as long as you're not in the very center. On top of that stone structure, you'll find a yellow block with a Koopa shell inside. Even better, there's a Wing Cap block up there too! You'll need the Wing Cap for a later star, but both items are super handy for getting around this outside area.

Keep going past the stone structure, and you'll come across some walkways with big moving boxes. These are Tox Boxes, and they'll definitely crush you if you're not careful. The trick is that each Tox Box has a hole on one side. You can actually stand on the spot where the hole will be to avoid getting squished. You'll need to get past three of these Tox Boxes, but if you're feeling speedy, you can use Long Jumps to skip some of them. Once you're past the walkways, make your way to the nearest tower – you can literally just run up the side of it! Wait at the top until Klepto, the vulture, flies by. You'll see it's carrying the star in its claws.

Now, to get the star, you just need to jump into Klepto! It might take a couple of tries, as Klepto might circle around a few times before flying directly over you. It'll fly off for a bit but will return in about a minute. Once you manage to bump into it and make it drop the star, it'll land between the two towers near the pyramid entrance. Just head over there and pick it up!