Shearwig In-game icon.
Artwork of a Shearwig.
Appears in PikminPikmin 2Pikmin 3
Scientific name Himeagea volaris
Family Mandiblard
Areas The Forest Navel, The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Wistful Wild, Formidable Oak
Caves Snagret Hole, Citadel of Spiders, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages None
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages Twilight Hollow Remix
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages Twilight Hollow, Twilight River Remix, The Rustyard
Side Story days None
2-Player Battle stages Battle Field, War Path, Carpet Plain, Angle Maze, Rusty Gulch, Brawl Yard, Tile Lands, Dim Labyrinth, Hostile Territory
Bingo Battle stages None
Attacks Eats Pikmin

Shearwigs (トビンコ?, lit.: "Flying Parrot") are enemies in the Pikmin games. The females of this species are never seen, as, according to Olimar's notes, they spend nearly their entire life underground, somewhat similar to cicadas. They also do not possess the male's wings. The males have a dark green shell, sporting simple wings and large, sickle-shaped mandibles. They are slightly more aggressive than Male Sheargrubs, and take leave off the ground to hover up high after having lost at least half of their health to allow it to steadily return. While up in the air, these creatures are still within the reach of a Pikmin throw, of which just one accurate button-press is enough to kill one.

Like other Mandiblards, Shearwigs have an affinity for chewing apart stick bridges, and they lose health while in water. Because when they are being attacked they fly up, they will stop losing health as soon as they stop being submerged. On the ground, if they are hit in the back, they will die instantly, just like a Dwarf Bulborb.

In Pikmin 3, Shearwigs gain the ability to swoop down and grab Pikmin while in flight, making them somewhat more dangerous. Also, they will now fly almost all the time while fighting, not just to regain health, as they do in the previous games. This makes them easy to strike down and deal good damage to, and makes them easy targets for Winged Pikmin.

In Pikmin 2's 2-Player Mode, Shearwigs may sometimes pop out when the player digs up a yellow marble. In Pikmin 3, Shearwigs return, only appearing in the Formidable Oak, but they cannot be carried back, as they just disappear into plasm. However, they do make an appearance in Bingo Battle and several areas in Mission Mode.

Notes

Reel notes

The males of this species are able to fly, but the females remain underground.

Olimar's notes

Unusual for their genus, flying mandiblards have retained their wings. However, only the adult males of this species can fly. Females of this species spend most of their life span underground. They do emerge for a period after maturation to spawn, but never metamorphose.

Louie's notes

Grate this beast into a zest and whisk with sugar, cream, and chopped dark chocolate for a lusciously indulgent mousse that's a true culinary coup de grace!

Nintendo Player's Guide

"Shearwigs are essentially Male Sheargrubs with wings. You can pluck a Shearwig from the air with a toss of a single Pikmin, then defeat it quickly with a small swarm. Although it takes some effort to aim and fire at the little bugs, they provide a good source of Pikmin sprouts."

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

"These creatures behave much like Male Sheargrubs, burrowing underground and waiting to attack unsuspecting prey. Once above ground, however, Shearwigs fly into the air and attack your Pikmin from above. When you encounter a group of Shearwigs, move out of range and attack the enemies from a distance. During prolonged battles, Shearwigs will shake their attackers by burrowing underground. Don’t let your guard down until you’re sure the area is clear of enemies."

Strategy

The best way to kill a Shearwig is to land a Pikmin directly on top of one; this will instantly kill it. Otherwise, the creature can be swarmed and, provided it does not die right away, the Pikmin should be called back when it attempts to fly upward. At this point it should be shot down by having a Pikmin of any type thrown at it.

In Pikmin, Shearwigs share the Male Sheargrubs' invincibility trick while grasping a Pikmin, so a Pikmin thrown directly on its back for a one-hit-kill is a safer method. This invulnerability is lost in Pikmin 2, making for an especially quick and easy kill through simple swarming. In Pikmin 2, Purple Pikmin may also be used to stun large groups of the enemies, which is quite helpful considering that a Shearwig is seldom found alone.

Another strategy for Shearwigs that appear near water (such as The Distant Spring in Pikmin) is to bring a group of about 30 Blue Pikmin and lead the Shearwig into the water, quickly swarming it before it can take off.

In Pikmin 3, Shearwigs gain a new form of attack wherein as soon as they emerge from the ground, they will immediately take flight rather than attempt to chase Pikmin on the ground. Once in the air, they will swoop down, grab Pikmin in their mandibles, lift them into the air and eat them. The same strategies from previous games are effective on the Shearwig. If in the air, they are also vulnerable to Pikmin being thrown at them to knock them onto the ground, or to get swarmed by Winged Pikmin while in the air. Rock Pikmin can also instantly defeat an airborne Shearwig.

Minor glitches

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In Pikmin, there is a visual glitch that can happen when the Shearwigs in The Distant Spring by the Massage Machine are hiding underground. If they are hiding right on the ledge that leads into the water, they can be seen above ground, completely motionless.

In the same game, Pikmin that are thrown or ordered into an area where Shearwigs are under the ground attack the ground as if something were there (similarly to the way White Pikmin unearth buried treasure). However, the Shearwigs will not come to the surface unless Captain Olimar moves near enough. This is useful for when Pikmin need to carry objects through an area with Shearwigs or Sheargrubs (such as the Guard Satellite or the Extraordinary Bolt), as the enemies don't attack, and it can be used to indicate whether any Mandiblards lie ahead.

In Pikmin 2's 2-Player Battle mode, Shearwigs may sometimes pop out when the player digs up a yellow marble. Sometimes, the Shearwigs will move incredibly fast, and will eat Pikmin faster, and also move up and down faster when carried to the Onion. The latter oddity may also sometimes happen with Fiery Blowhogs in Pikmin.

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name kabekuiC
HP 50
Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name tobi
Global properties (List)
ID Japanese comment Property Value
s000 friction(not used) Friction 0.5
s001 wallReflection Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) 0.5
s002 faceDirAdjust Unknown 0.25
s003 accel Acceleration 0.05
s004 bounceFactor Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) 0.3
fp00 ライフ HP 200
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 10
fp02 ダメージスケールXZ Horizontal damage scale 0.2
fp03 ダメージスケールY Vertical damage scale 0.25
fp04 ダメージフレーム Damage scale duration 0.35
fp05 質量 Unknown (weight?) 0.1
fp06 速度 Move speed 35
fp08 回転速度率 Rotation acceleration 0.2
fp09 テリトリー Territory radius 400
fp10 ホーム範囲 "Home" radius 30
fp11 プライベート距離 "Private" radius 0
fp12 視界距離 Sight radius 150
fp13 視界角度 FOV 180
fp14 探索距離 Unknown (exploration radius?) 0
fp15 探索角度 Unknown (exploration angle?) 0
fp16 振り払い率 Successful shake rate 0
fp17 振り払い力 Shake knockback 0
fp18 振り払いダメージ Shake damage 0
fp19 振り払い範囲 Shake range 0
fp20 攻撃可能範囲 Unknown (shock attack max range?) 30
fp21 攻撃可能角度 Unknown (shock attack max angle?) 15
fp22 攻撃ヒット範囲 Unknown (attack hit range?) 30
fp23 攻撃ヒット角度 Unknown (attack hit angle?) 15
fp24 攻撃力 Attack damage 20
fp25 視界高 Unknown (height visibility?) 50
fp26 探索高 Unknown (exploration height?) 0
fp27 ライフの高さ HP wheel height 50
fp28 回転最大速度 Rotation speed 12
fp29 警戒時間 Unknown (warning time?) 0
fp30 警戒ライフ Unknown 0
fp31 ライフ回復率 Regeneration rate 0.0001
fp32 LOD半径 Off-camera radius 40
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 30
fp34 ピクミンとのあたり Pikmin damage radius 10
fp35 石化時間 Petrification duration 1
fp36 ヒップドロップダメージ Purple Pikmin drop damage 50
fp37 地震気絶確立 Purple Pikmin stun chance 0.3 (30%)
fp38 地震気絶時間 Purple Pikmin stun time 10
ip01 振り払い打撃A Shake mode 1 – hit count 0
ip02 振り払い張付1 Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement 0
ip03 振り払い打撃B Shake mode 2 – hit count 0
ip04 振り払い張付2 Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement 0
ip05 振り払い打撃C Shake mode 3 – hit count 0
ip06 振り払い張付3 Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement 0
ip07 振り払い打撃D Shake mode 4 – hit count 0
Specific properties
ID Japanese comment Property Value
fp01 離陸ライフ Unknown (HP percentage needed to start flying?) 0.5
fp02 着陸ライフ Unknown (HP percentage needed to go back down?) 0.8
fp03 飛行オフセット Unknown (flight height?) 75
fp11 白ピクミン White Pikmin poison damage 300
fp12 橋食いパワー Bridge-eating power 45

Gallery

Trivia

  • This creature's name is a combination of "shear" and "earwig" – a real-life insect that also has large mandibles and wings.
  • The female version of the Shearwig cannot fly, stays underground, and has not been seen in-game, but it has been mentioned in the Piklopedia.
  • The Shearwig can inflict the most damage on captains in Pikmin 2: around 1/3 health without the Metal Suit Z, and around 1/4 health with the Metal Suit Z.
  • The Shearwig's exoskeleton covers its entire body in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, but only covers their mandibles and head in Pikmin 3.
  • In Pikmin, all mandiblards share the same internal name, "Kabekui". "Kabe" means "wall" and "kui" meaning "pile". The name "wall pile" could refer to their bridge-eating ability.