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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Procellariidae
  4. ›
  5. Calonectris
  6. ›
  7. Streaked Shearwater
Streaked Shearwater
Photo · Nicolas Huet / Jean Gabriel Prêtre

BirdUp · Species

Streaked Shearwater

Calonectris leucomelas(Temminck, 1836)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family
Procellariidae
Genus
Calonectris

At a glance

The Streaked Shearwater is a large bird, about 48 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
48 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Streaked Shearwater look like?

The Streaked Shearwater is a large bird, about 48 cm long and weighing 440 g.

The streaked shearwater is a species of seabird. The adult bird averages 48 cm (19 in) in length, with a 122 cm (48 in) wingspan.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
48 cm
Weight
440 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Streaked Shearwater?

The Streaked Shearwater is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Streaked Shearwater eat?

The Streaked Shearwater feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks or alone.

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Streaked Shearwater live in Australia?

The Streaked Shearwater is native to Australia, recorded across 10 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingIslands from Russian Far East, Korean Pen., and Japan to islands off west Taiwan

Non-breedingWest Pacific to Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, north Australia, Melanesia and Micronesia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Vagrant
  • Non-breeding
  • Passage

5 regions recorded