Streaked Shearwater

The streaked shearwater is a large shearwater, 45–52cm long with a wingspan of 103–113cm, with broad wings that are brown above and white below. The head and neck are flecked with white, sometimes almost entirely white, and the face and underparts are white. The bill is grey to pink with a dark tip and the feet pinkish-grey. It belongs to the petrel family and is native to the western Pacific (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is an ocean bird that also comes into inshore waters. It nests in burrows, preferring forested hills on offshore islands of Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and after breeding migrates south to feed in the seas off northern New Guinea, the Arafura Sea and the South China Sea. It feeds mainly on fish and squid and follows fishing boats, and some are caught as bycatch in nets and on long-lines. SoIB 2023 lists it as a winter visitor to Indian waters but gives no trend or priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).