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Shearwig

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Shearwig In-game icon.
Icon for the Shearwig, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.
Appears in PikminPikmin 2Pikmin 3Pikmin 4Hey! Pikmin
Scientific name Himeagea volaris
Family Mandiblard
Areas The Forest Navel, The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Wistful Wild, Formidable Oak, Serene Shores (night), Hero's Hideaway (night), Troop Commander
Caves Snagret Hole, Citadel of Spiders, Hole of Heroes, Crackling Cauldron, Subterranean Swarm
Challenge Mode stages Rumbling Grotto
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages Twilight Hollow Remix
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages Thirsty Desert, Twilight Hollow, Twilight River Remix, The Rustyard
Side Story days None
Dandori Challenge stages Aerial Incinerator
Dandori Battle stages Final Battle
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 Parched Brook, Rusted Labyrinth, Corroded Maze
Attacks Eat Pikmin

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin.

The Shearwig (トビンコ?, lit.: "Tiny Flier") is an enemy 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 males' 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 either kill it, or knock it into the ground.

Like other mandiblards, Shearwigs have an affinity for chewing apart stick bridges, and they lose health while in water, in the first two games. 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.

The Shearwigs also appear in Hey! Pikmin, exclusively as part of the boss fight against the Queen Shearwig. In this game, they only fly around to serve as a line of defense, move towards a target while spinning, chomp on Pikmin, and eat them, all as commanded by the queen. They are one of the few enemies in the game that don't have an entry in the creature log.

In Pikmin 3, Shearwigs fly almost all the time while fighting and swoop down to grab Pikmin and eat them. Instead of healing while in flight, they roost and go underground, and can fully heal in 30 seconds. They will go underground to heal when their health reaches 20% or lower, and will emerge after it reaches 50%, if there are prey nearby. 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, their only Story Mode appearance is in the Formidable Oak, so they cannot be carried back as they just disappear into plasm. They behave as normal in Bingo Battle and Mission Mode. In Hey! Pikmin, they serve as the Queen Shearwig's troops and attacks, similar to Scornets in the Scornet Maestro battle in Pikmin 3.

Stats[edit]

Game Weight Max.
carriers
Seeds Value Health Regen.
Pikmin 1 2 4 N/A 50 Yes
Pikmin 2 1 1 4 Poko icon.png × 2 200 0.6 HP/s
Pikmin 3 (?) 1 1 4 Texture used for the Poko in Pikmin 3. × 5
Icon for the soul in Battle Enemies!, taken from the game's textures. × 5
74 No
Pikmin 4 1 1 3 (0 glow pellets) Icon that represents Sparklium on the wiki, based on the icon found in Pikmin 4. × 1 74 No
Hey! Pikmin N/A N/A N/A A yellow Sparklium Seed icon, used to represent the object found in the games. × Unknown Unknown Unknown

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!

Alph's comments

Structural flaw: soft hide
Weight: 1

It seems odd for a flying creature to make its home underground, but that's what these insects do. When they sense motion, they surface and take to the air immediately, then attack from above.

Brittany's comments

It doesn't look like it can fly, possibly because it spends all its time under the earth. Maybe all it needs is to cut back on its diet and exercise more. Wait, what am I saying? I can't ask it to do something I wouldn't.

Charlie's comments

US version icon.png US version
"Oh, a flying bug! I'll send some flying Pikmin after it!" Rookie mistake! I can see why you'd think that, but the best Pikmin for the job is a Rock Pikmin. These bugs are so lightly armored that one hit can take them out. I could even use my steely fists, but that would just be overkill.
European version icon.png European version
"Oh, a flying bug! I'll send some flying Pikmin after it!" Rookie mistake! I can see why you'd think that, but the best Pikmin for the job is a Rock Pikmin. These bugs are so lightly armoured that one hit can take them out. I could even use my steely fists, but that would just be overkill.

Louie's comments

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 grâce!

Olimar's comments

Shearwig
Himeagea volaris
Mandiblard family

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 they never metamorphose.

Dalmo's Notes[edit]

It may be small, but it's full of vim and vigor! It hovers in midair, then zips straight to its target. And once it has prey in its jaws, it locks on tight and won't let go. This Shearwig, a cunning and fierce survivor, has a death grip on my heart and soul!

Olimar's Notes (Pikmin 4)[edit]

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 they never metamorphose.

Louie's Notes (Pikmin 4)[edit]

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 grâce!

Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide[edit]

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 they never metamorphose.
Like sheargrubs, shearwigs emerge from underground when Pikmin are near. Battle a shearwig as if it were a male sheargrub. If the shearwig takes wing, you can easily defeat it by tossing a Pikmin at it.

Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet[edit]

Shearwigs emerge from underground when Pikmin are near. They feast upon Pikmin until attacked, and retreat to the safety of the sky to regroup. Toss Pikmin at airborne shearwigs to knock them down.

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

For strategies against the Shearwigs in Hey! Pikmin, see Queen Shearwig#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.

The Shearwig in Pikmin 4 is identical to its previous iteration. Rock Pikmin will down it in one hit as they did before, and all other types will knock it out of the air if they don't land on its back mid-flight. The main distinction is their appearance in groups, both in caves and in night expeditions, though this is mostly mitigated due to their low health. Glow Pikmin can take advantage of their ability to form Glowmobs to down groups of Shearwigs bundled together almost instantly. Take care to watch for any Pikmin that may get swooped away in fights, and prioritize those that do manage to pluck one away from you.

Minor glitches[edit]

To do: Move to the glitches article.
Care to do so?

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[edit]

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 HP percentage needed to start flying 0.5
fp02 着陸ライフ HP percentage needed to go back down 0.8
fp03 飛行オフセット 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
Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name tobinko
HP 74
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill 0
White Pikmin ingestions to kill 1
Bomb rock explosions to kill 1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill 0
Number of direct hits on top to kill 0
Damage to leaders 5
Territory radius 300
Mission Mode value 5

Other information[edit]

Naming[edit]

See more: Mandiblard family#Naming.
  • Common name: Shearwig. It is a combination of "shear" and "earwig" – a real-life insect that also has large mandibles and wings.
  • Japanese nickname: トビンコ?. It is a combination of とび? (lit.: "flying"), and the ンコ? part used in the name of other mandiblards.
  • Japanese name: トビヒメアギト?, lit.: "Flying Small Jaw".
  • Scientific name: Himeagea volaris. "Volaris" is related to the Latin volare, which means "fly".
  • Internal names: Internally, it is known in Pikmin has kabekuiC. The C in the name is what distinguishes it from the other mandiblards; in particular, the Female Sheargrub uses A and the Male uses B. In Pikmin 2, the internal name is simply tobi, which is part of its Japanese name (とび?, lit.: "flying"), and in Pikmin 3, it is the entirety of the Japanese name (tobinko).
  • Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Flag of Japan Japanese トビンコ?
Tobinko
Tiny Flier
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
飛天蛆仔
Fēitiān Qūzǐ
Flying Maggotlet
Flag of China Chinese
(simplified)
飞天蛆仔
Fēitiān Qūzǐ
Flying Maggotlet
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Schaarwig Shearwig
Flag of France French Boufpon Volant Flying bridge-eater "Boufpon" is a portmanteau of "bouffe" (eat, grub) and "pont" (bridge)
Flag of Germany German Scherenzopf Scissor Braid
Flag of Italy Italian Tarlo alato Winged woodworm
Flag of South Korea Korean 날개벼룩
Nalgae-Byeoruk
Wing Flea
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Cupim alado Winged termite
Flag of Spain Spanish Comején volador Flying termite

Gallery[edit]

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly:
images of shearwigs from P4.
You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

Pikmin[edit]

Pikmin 2[edit]

Pikmin 3[edit]

Pikmin 4[edit]

Hey! Pikmin[edit]

Other[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • 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. It is known not to be the Queen Shearwig, as it's an entirely different species and has wings, contradicting Olimar's description.
  • The Shearwig and the Wollywog can inflict the most damage on leaders in Pikmin 2: 40% of their health without the Metal Suit Z, and 20% with the upgrade.
  • The Shearwig's exoskeleton covers its entire body in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, but only covers their mandibles and head in Pikmin 3.
  • On The Forest Navel, one can lure Shearwigs into the pathway leading to the Libra, or even to the part's island itself, and get it to fall into the abyss. This can be achieved by making it begin flight while near the edge; at times, the creature will end its flight stage above the pit, and plummet right down. This kills the Shearwig.
  • The only Shearwigs in Pikmin 3's story mode are located in the Formidable Oak. However, they might not be actual Shearwigs because every enemy in the Formidable Oak disintegrates into plasm when defeated, implying that they were illusions created by the Plasm Wraith. This can also be applied to the Watery Blowhog's appearance in Pikmin 3's story mode.

See also[edit]