Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status B: breeding visitor. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name

Ardenna pacifica

Common names

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Family

Procellariidae

Order

Procellariiformes

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Kauaʻi documented: breeding visitor (2017 island checklist)

Origin

Indigenous

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-13

Evidence limits

Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Shorelines · Coastal habitat · Offshore waters and islands

Food and resource needs

Pelagic/nearshore prey gathered at sea

Reproduction

Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.

Shelter

Shelter and structure within shorelines, coastal habitat, offshore waters and islands.

Threats and conservation

Threats

Rats, cats, barn owls, light fallout, colony disturbance, and competition effects at artificial nest-box sites when larger shearwaters can exclude smaller target seabirds

Conservation actions

Maintain predator control, light/fallout response, sanctuary access controls, and nest-box designs that prevent Wedge-tailed Shearwaters from displacing Band-rumped Storm-Petrels

Monitoring

Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.

Data gaps

Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Kauai Breeding Colony Species With Fallout Response Relevance

Seasonal description

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) is recorded as a breeding visitor on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/uau-kani/
• https://www.usgs.gov/data/population-estimates-selected-breeding-seabirds-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-kauai
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/sanctuaries/kaua%CA%BBi-offshore-islets-seabird-sanctuaries/
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2022/04/26/nr22-057/
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2024/09/24/nr24-122/
• https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm

Explore field guides

• Kauaʻi Birds