Birdsong field guide
Streaked Shearwater
Calonectris leucomelas
The Streaked Shearwater is a large, distinctive pelagic seabird known for its pale, streaked head and elegant, banking flight patterns. It is a highly migratory species that spends the vast majority of its life at sea, returning to land only to breed on forested islands.
What it sounds like
Usually silent at sea; at breeding colonies, they produce high-pitched, nasal whistles and rhythmic, screeching cackles.
Field notes
- It is the largest shearwater species in the North Pacific, reaching a wingspan of up to 122 centimeters.
- Unlike most shearwaters that nest in open areas, this species often climbs trees to gain enough height for takeoff from its forested breeding sites.
- They utilize a combination of surface-seizing and pursuit-diving to catch prey, reaching depths of up to 20 meters.
- The species displays high site fidelity, with individuals often returning to the exact same nesting burrow year after year.
- They are opportunistic feeders that frequently follow fishing trawlers in large flocks to scavenge for offal and discarded fish.
Habitat
Pelagic waters and offshore islands, specifically nesting in forested or scrub-covered terrain.
Range
Breeds on islands in the Northwest Pacific (Japan, Korea, China) and migrates south to the tropical waters of Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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