is left alone in the nest while both parents hunt for food. It is initially fed with stomach oil, an energy-rich, waxy oil of digested prey created in the parent's gut; later, it is fed both solids and stomach oil. Like many procellariids, wedge-tailed shearwater parents alternate long and short trips to provide food, with the parents alternating between short foraging trips (1–4 days) and long trips (about 8 days), the two parents coordinating their feeding effort. Chicks increase in size to (larger than the adults), then drop to around before fledging. Fledging occurs after 103–115 days, after which the chick is independent of the adult. Known breeding colonies include: Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii Heron Island, Australia Lady Elliot Island, Australia Lord Howe Island, Australia Montague Island, Southern New South Wales, Australia North West Island, Australia Muttonbird Island, Coffs Harbour, Northern New South Wales, Australia Mānana Island, Hawaii, United States Maui, Hawaii, United States Mokuauia Island, Hawaii, United States Kupikipiki’o Pt., Hawaii, United States Ilot Maitre, Noumea, New Caledonia Round Island, Mauritius Ka'ena Point, Oahu, Hawaii Mañagaha, Saipan, CNMI San Benedicto Island, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico Alphonse Island, Republic of Seychelles Bijoutier Island, Republic of Seychelles Gallery References Further reading External links BirdLife species factsheet California Bird Records Committee: Rare bird photos – wedge-tailed shearwater USFWS, Midway Atoll NWR: Wedge-tailed shearwater Frank O'Connor's Birding Western Australia: More photos of the wedge-tailed shearwater wedge-tailed shearwater Birds of the Indian Ocean Birds of the Pacific Ocean Subterranean nesting birds Wedge-tailed shearwater Wedge-tailed shearwater