As confirmed last week by Niantic, the Research Breakthrough rewards are rotating now that May has arrived. After four long weeks of questing for a Moltres encounter, it's now Zapdos' time to shine.

The Zapdos encounter shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, since Pokemon GO officially confirmed the upcoming rotation last week, but it is now definitely safe to claim the Breakthrough and feel assured that Zapdos will appear, along with the other rewards.

In addition to the appearance of Zapdos as a Breakthrough reward, players should also start picking up some new Field Research tasks that are associated with the theme of the Electric-type Gen 1 Legendary.

Pokemon GO Zapdos raid three players

Players should make sure they never miss a Field Research stamp this month and claim as many Zapdos as possible, to increase the chance of getting a 100% IV encounter. The Electric-type bird is a strong fighter in Battle Raids and a fine addition to the lineup for many big fights.

There is no confirmation about which Pokemon will replace Zapdos as the reward in June, but if this trend continues, it seems highly likely that Articuno will be making an appearance and completing the trio of Gen 1 legendary birds.

Until next time, good luck out there, trainers!

Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.