Streaked shearwater
A pelagic seabird of the Western Pacific.
The streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) belongs to the petrel family Procellariidae. This seabird lives in the Western Pacific, ranging from Japan down to Australia. It has broad wings with brown topsides and white undersides. Its head and neck are flecked with white, sometimes nearly completely white, while the face and underparts are all white. The bill is grey to pink with a dark tip, and the feet are pinkish-grey. Body length from bill tip to tail tip measures 45 to 52 centimeters, with a wingspan of 103 to 113 centimeters.
Though pelagic, it also appears in inshore waters. It nests in Japan and the Korean Peninsula, mainly on offshore islands. After breeding, it migrates south to feed in seas off northern New Guinea, the Arafura Sea, and the South China Sea. It has also been spotted off the west coast of the United States, southern India, and New Zealand, with one record from Wyoming.
It feeds mostly on fish and squid, often following fishing boats to feed on anchovy catches off Japan. It can become bycatch in nets or drown after swallowing bait on longlines. It nests in burrows, preferring forested hills. The species is abundant and widespread, but some die from entanglement in fishing nets, predation by cats and rats, and harvesting by traditional human cultures.
- Scientific name
- Calonectris leucomelas
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Body length
- 45–52 cm (18–20 in)
- Wingspan
- 103–113 cm (41–44 in)
- Range
- Western Pacific, from Japan to Australia
- Diet
- Fish and squid
- Conservation status
- Abundant and widespread
Lore & Background
The streaked shearwater has broad wings with a brown upperside and white underwings. Its head and neck are flecked white to almost completely white, while the face and underparts are all white. The bill is grey to pink with a dark tip, and the feet are pinkish-grey. It nests in burrows, preferring forested hills, and breeds in Japan and the Korean Peninsula, predominantly on offshore islands.
Reader's Guide
The streaked shearwater is a significant species in the Western Pacific ecosystem, serving as a predator of fish and squid and as a follower of fishing boats, particularly attracted to anchovy crawls off Japan. Its migration after breeding takes it to the seas off northern New Guinea, the Arafura Sea, and the South China Sea, with occasional reports from the west coast of the United States, southern India, New Zealand, and even a specimen collected in Wyoming. While abundant, it faces mortality from entanglement in fishing nets, predation by cats and rats, and harvesting by traditional endemic human cultures. Its presence across such a wide range highlights its adaptability, though bycatch in long-line fishing remains a conservation concern.
Did You Know?
- The streaked shearwater has a wingspan between 103 and 113 cm (41–44 in).
- It nests in burrows on forested hills, primarily on offshore islands of Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
- After breeding, it migrates south to feed in the Arafura Sea and South China Sea.
- A specimen has been recorded in Wyoming, far inland from its usual pelagic habitat.
More in Birds of the Pacific Ocean 1-24
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