Shearwig

Shearwigs 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 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 kill one.

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, 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, 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 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''.

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
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.

Trivia

 * 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 is located at the Formidable Oak. However, they might not be an actual Shearwigs because every enemy at the Formidable Oak turns into plasm when defeated, implying that it was created by the Plasm Wraith. This can also be applied to the Watery Blowhog's appearance in Pikmin 3's story mode.