Squawks Mount Guide

The Squawks is a vibrant, tropical parrot whose rainbow-coloured plumage and cheeky expression make it one of the most cheerful and distinctive mounts from the Island Expeditions system. Its bright feathers, sharp beak, and playful demeanour stand in stark contrast to the dark, shadowy dragons and grim warhorses that dominate most mount collections. The flavour text delivers a knowing wink: “Guess why he's called that? It's not because he's a nice, quiet pet.” For collectors who appreciate mounts with personality, colour, and a touch of humour, Squawks is a true prize — a squawking, feathery companion that brings life to any journey.

Introduced in patch 8.0.1 “Battle for Azeroth”, Squawks has carved out a special place in the hearts of Island Expedition collectors for one simple reason: this colourful parrot is one of the most reliably obtainable rare mounts from the system. According to community data, Squawks appears to drop more frequently than many of its expedition counterparts — a fact that has made it a favourite target for collectors who want a challenging but achievable goal. The parrot is closely tied to pirate enemies on the islands, meaning your hunt for this loudmouthed avian will take you to the most swashbuckling corners of the expedition maps. For those who have spent weeks chasing pirate invasions and opening salvage crates, finally seeing Squawks appear in their inventory is a moment of genuine joy — a colourful reward for a sea‑worthy adventure.

• Added in patch: 8.0.1 “Battle for Azeroth”
• Mount type: Flying
• Source: Island Expeditions (end-of-run reward or Salvage Crates)
• Requirements: Level 50, access to Island Expeditions
• Repeat attempts: Unlimited (limited only by time)

How to Get Squawks

The Squawks mount can be obtained in two ways through the Island Expeditions system:

• Directly from an Island Expedition: If you encounter Pirates as enemies on the island, there is a very small chance (estimated 0.5–1% on Mythic difficulty) that the mount will be awarded from the end‑of‑expedition reward chest. Look for enemies like Dreadbeard (a ghostly pirate rare) or other pirate-themed creatures — the more pirates you defeat, the higher your chances.
• From Specific Salvage Crates: You can spend Seafarer’s Doubloons to purchase Salvage Crates from the Island Expedition vendor. According to community data, Squawks can drop from Crestfall Salvage and Rotting Mire Salvage. These two crates have the highest recorded drop counts for this mount — Crestfall Salvage shows 112 recorded drops (approximately 5% drop rate) and Rotting Mire Salvage shows 113 recorded drops (approximately 11% drop rate). The vendor’s inventory rotates weekly, so these specific crates are not always available.

The Island Expedition vendor is located near the Expedition Map in the Port of Zuldazar for Horde or the Port of Boralus for Alliance.

Understanding Island Expeditions – A Quick Guide

Island Expeditions are a Battle for Azeroth feature where teams of three players compete against either AI‑controlled enemies (PvE mode) or another team of players (PvP mode) to collect Azerite. The first team to reach the required Azerite total wins. Expeditions are available at three difficulty levels: Normal, Heroic, and Mythic. Higher difficulties offer better rewards but also present stronger enemies and more challenging mechanics.

Each expedition takes place on a randomised island — such as Crestfall, Jorundall, Rotting Mire, Havenswood, Snowblossom, Skittering Hollow, or Dread Chain — and the enemy types vary from run to run. The Pirates can appear as enemies on any island, but they are most commonly associated with Rotting Mire, which has a pirate creature theme. You will know you are fighting pirates when you see enemies like Dreadbeard (a ghostly pirate rare) or other pirate-themed creatures.

To queue for an Island Expedition, speak to the Expedition Map located in your faction’s port:

• Horde: Port of Zuldazar – /way 44.6 94.2
• Alliance: Port of Boralus – /way 66.2 32.6

You can queue for Normal and Heroic difficulties with a partial group; the system will fill the remaining slots. However, Mythic and PvP difficulties require a fully premade group. For efficient farming, it is recommended to form a group of three players who can clear expeditions quickly on Heroic or Mythic difficulty.

Doubloons & the Best Crates for Squawks – Maximising Your Odds

Seafarer’s Doubloons are a currency earned from completing Island Expeditions, regardless of whether you win or lose. The amount you earn increases with higher difficulty levels. You can also increase your Doubloon gains by advancing a perk tree located on your faction’s ship in the port.

The most reliable way to obtain Squawks is to purchase specific Salvage Crates from the Island Expedition vendor. According to Wowhead data, Squawks drops most frequently from the following crates:

• Rotting Mire Salvage – 175 Doubloons – 113 recorded drops (approximately 11% drop rate)
• Crestfall Salvage – 175 Doubloons – 112 recorded drops (approximately 5% drop rate)

Important: The vendor’s inventory changes weekly. These specific Salvage Crates are not available every week — you must wait for the weeks when they appear in the vendor’s offerings. During those weeks, prioritise spending your Doubloons on these crates for the best chance at Squawks.

Pro Tips & Common Pitfalls – Hunting Squawks

• Target the right crates: Squawks drops most reliably from specific Salvage Crates. Avoid spending Doubloons on other crates if you are targeting this specific mount.
• Watch for pirate invasions: When you see the invasion announcement that pirates are spawning, prioritise killing as many as possible — this dramatically increases your chances.
• Focus on Rotting Mire during pirate weeks: When Rotting Mire has the pirate creature theme, run it repeatedly for the best odds.
• Kill Dreadbeard when you see him: Multiple players have reported getting Squawks after killing this ghostly pirate rare.
• Track the weekly rotation: Bookmark the Wowhead “Today in WoW” page or use an addon like SavedInstances to see which island has the pirate theme each week.
• Don’t solo on low difficulty: Normal expeditions award far fewer Doubloons and have a lower drop rate. Always run Heroic or Mythic with a full group.
• Complete bonus objectives: Each island has hidden treasures, rare mobs, and events. Completing them increases your Doubloon reward at the end.
• Patience is key: The direct drop rate is sub‑1% — expect to run dozens or even hundreds of expeditions. The Salvage Crate method is much more reliable, with Rotting Mire Salvage offering an 11% drop rate.
• Perk tree first, crates second: The first few perks are cheap and significantly increase your Doubloon income. Unlock them before focusing on crates.

Essential Addons for Island Expedition Farming

Farming Island Expedition mounts efficiently requires knowing which enemies spawn, what they can drop, and tracking your progress across multiple characters.

• Ahoy! Island Expedition Helper: The single most valuable addon for any Island Expedition farmer. This tool tracks which enemies you have killed in real time and displays the possible rewards that can drop from them. It adds pirate skull icons to your map showing where rare mobs spawn and shows your end-of-expedition rewards instantly. After patch 8.1, the island rewards you based on which enemy types appeared — Ahoy! lets you see at a glance whether pirates have spawned, so you can decide whether to complete the expedition or reset for a better chance.
• SavedInstances: Tracks which Salvage crates you have purchased each week and which characters have completed their expeditions. The vendor’s inventory changes weekly — SavedInstances helps you manage this across your entire account.
• Rarity: Counts your expedition completions and Salvage crate openings across all characters. Provides an estimated statistical chance of having seen the mount based on your attempts.
• TomTom / Paste: Set waypoints to the Expedition Map and Salvage vendor locations in your faction’s port.
• Leatrix Plus: Provides quality‑of‑life improvements like auto‑sell junk, auto‑repair, faster loot, and reduced screen clutter — small time savers that add up over hundreds of runs.

Pro tip: Combine Ahoy! Island Expedition Helper with SavedInstances for maximum efficiency. Ahoy! scans the island at the start and tells you which enemy types have spawned — if you see pirates, complete the expedition for a shot at Squawks. SavedInstances tracks your Doubloon balance and crate purchases across all characters, so you never waste a weekly reset.