Quick answer: To tame an Argentavis in ARK Survival Ascended you knock it out with tranquilizers and feed it Superior Kibble (its favorite) or, without kibble, Raw Mutton or Raw Prime Meat. A level 150 one needs 11 Superior Kibble and about 42 minutes at official 1x rates; on Tharyon, with 8x taming, 2 kibble and roughly 8 minutes are enough.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Argentavis, or Argy, is a giant scavenger bird and one of the most useful flyers in the game. It carries medium creatures, lightens metal and stone, and its saddle doubles as a smithy. It is the go-to mount for mining and moving other creatures.
Argentavis quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Carrion feeder (eats meat) |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Territorial |
| Taming method | Knockout (knock it out, then feed it) |
| Preferred kibble | Superior Kibble |
| Best food | Raw Mutton and Raw Prime Meat |
| How to immobilize it | Chain Bola, Bear Traps, Plant Species Y Trap and Net Projectile |
| How to knock it out | Tranq Arrows with a Crossbow or Tranquilizer Darts; best with a bola or a trap so it cannot fly away |
| Saddle | Argentavis Saddle (level 62); it works as a mobile Smithy |
| Maps (ASA) | The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island |
How to tame an Argentavis step by step
- Prepare Superior Kibble or fresh meat (Raw Mutton or Raw Prime Meat) and Narcotics.
- Get it on the ground: it usually attacks if you come close. Lead it into a gated trap or hit it with a Chain Bola.
- Shoot it with tranq arrows or darts until it drops.
- Put only the food you want it to eat into its inventory.
- Watch its torpor, give Narcotics if it drops, and defend it from nearby carnivores.
Argentavis taming food and taming calculator
These numbers come from ARK’s taming formula for a level 150 Argentavis. The 1x column is the official rate and the 8x column is Tharyon’s rate. They are estimates: hitting the sleeping creature or a game patch can change them slightly.
| Food | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Amount 8x (Tharyon) | Time 8x (Tharyon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Kibble | 11 | 42 min | 2 | 8 min |
| Raw Mutton | 23 | 52 min | 3 | 7 min |
| Raw Prime Meat | 29 | 1 h 5 min | 4 | 9 min |
| Cooked Lamb Chop | 42 | 1 h 34 min | 6 | 14 min |
| Cooked Prime Meat | 57 | 2 h 8 min | 8 | 18 min |
Argentavis taming time by level with Superior Kibble
| Level | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Narcotics 1x | Amount 8x | Time 8x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 4 | 15 min | 0 | 1 | 4 min |
| 60 | 5 | 19 min | 0 | 1 | 4 min |
| 100 | 8 | 31 min | 0 | 1 | 4 min |
| 150 | 11 | 42 min | 0 | 2 | 8 min |
A level 150 Argentavis has about 5964 torpor. With the amounts in the table you usually do not need narcotics on Tharyon, but bring a few in case it takes longer than expected.
Where to find the Argentavis in ARK Ascended
It usually stays high up: mountain peaks, cliffs and plateaus, swooping down for carcasses. On Fjordur it appears in Midgard and Asgard. It is the huge brown bird you see circling above the mountains.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island.
Argentavis abilities and uses
- Its claws carry creatures up to 180 drag weight; its beak, up to 50.
- Metal, ingots, stone, obsidian, crystal, black pearls and polymer weigh half as much.
- Eating a carcass gives it rapid healing for 20 seconds.
- Its saddle turns its inventory into a smithy for crafting and repairs.
Argentavis variants
The X-Argentavis lives in the snow biome of Genesis: Part 1 and in Jotunheim (Fjordur), has an icy look and can be tamed.
Argentavis breeding
The egg takes 2 h 56 min to hatch and the baby needs 2 d 6 h to reach adulthood at official rates. The egg needs 12-13.5 °C. On Tharyon (25x hatching and 35x maturation) that drops to about 7 min and 1 h 33 min.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- Pair it with a Doedicurus or Ankylosaurus in its claws to gather without landing.
- Do not knock it out over water or at a cliff edge: you could lose it.
- It is perfect for moving freshly tamed creatures back to base.
Tame your Argentavis faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon taming runs at 8x: a level 150 Argentavis is ready in about 8 min instead of 42 min.
- ARK Survival Ascended with crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- 8x taming, 2.5x XP and harvesting, 35x maturation and 25x hatching.
- 11 PvE maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero, Lost Island, Genesis 1, Astraeos and Forglar.
- Automatic events (a supply crate every 60 minutes and an event creature every 70), quests and an in-game shop.
To join, hop into our Discord and use the /link command. See every rate in the rates section.
Argentavis taming FAQ
What is the best taming food for an Argentavis?
Superior Kibble. Then Raw Mutton and Raw Prime Meat; cooked meat takes noticeably longer.
How long does it take to tame an Argentavis?
A level 150 one takes about 42 minutes with Superior Kibble at 1x. On Tharyon (8x) it takes about 8 minutes.
What can an Argentavis carry?
Creatures up to 180 drag weight in its claws, such as boars, raptors or a Doedicurus.
What level unlocks the Argentavis Saddle?
At level 62.
Why is my Argentavis not taming?
It is almost always one of these: it is not hungry yet (it only eats when its food bar drops, so the first bite can take a while), the food in its inventory is not one it accepts, it woke up because torpor ran out, or something is attacking it. Check that the taming bar goes up every time it eats.
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