Figures 55, 56 (top, bottom). An abundant species in the seas off Japan, the Streaked Shearwater is a casual vagrant in the eastern Pacific Ocean. All of California’s records are from fall, and most come from Monterey Bay, where the bird shown above was photographed on 22 September 1985 (1986-061; Lars Jonsson). This was also the site of North America’s first record, of an adult collected on 3 October 1975 (at right; 1978-090; Lloyd Umberg). Note this individual’s streaked head, scalloped upperparts, and whitish uppertail coverts, the last a variable feature.

STREAKED SHEARWATER Calonectris leucomelas (Temminck, 1835)

This large shearwater is abundant in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, where it breeds and ranges at sea around Japan, Korea, and China (Brazil 1991). Adults depart the breeding grounds between October and December, when young fledge (Yoshida 1962). Most migrate south to waters north of Australia, although some winter as far north as the waters off central Japan. Vagrant records extend westward to the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka and to the head of the Red Sea (two photographic records from Eilat, Israel; Shirihai 1996). The species has occurred casually around Hawaii and in the eastern Pacific Ocean, including two September records from Oregon waters. Quite unexpected was a 13 June 2006 specimen from southeastern Wyoming (Faulkner 2006a).

North America’s first Streaked Shearwater was an adult collected on 3 October 1975 at Monterey Bay, Monterey County (Morejohn 1978, Figure 56). This location accounts for six of California’s 11 accepted records, although it is uncertain whether each record refers to a unique individual; see also Appendix H. California’s accepted records are from the period of 5 August–9 October. A minority of Committee members questioned the natural occurrence of one captured on 5 August 1993 in a parking lot in Red Bluff, Tehama County (the Wyoming record referred to above appears to vindicate the majority). After being rehabilitated, the bird was released on 13 August 1993 at Humboldt Bay, Humboldt County. During fall 2002, a remarkable five Streaked Shearwaters were reported in California waters, three of which were endorsed by the Committee.

Although this species is reasonably distinctive, observers must rule out leucistic birds of other species, as well as other vagrant shearwaters.