Birds live in the western Pacific [4] . They nest on islands and continental shores in eastern Asia - from northeastern Japan ( Izu and Ryukyu Islands ) to Taiwan ( Penghu Islands ), in eastern China , in North and South Korea [1] [4] . In Russia, the only nesting site is Karamzin Island in Peter the Great Bay . In the USSR, it was first discovered in 1966 , and nesting was established in 1967 .
Migrate south in winter; in the south, they can be found on the shores of Vietnam , New Guinea , the Philippine Islands and Australia [4] . The variegated petrel is a migratory bird in Israel , Jordan , Moldova and Singapore [5] [6] .
The body length of the birds is about 48 cm, the wingspan is about 122 cm; female weight is approximately 538 grams, and males - 470 grams [2] .
Birds inhabit both pelagic and coastal waters. They feed mainly on fish and squid, which birds catch, capturing them near the surface of the water [4] . The variegated petrels can often be observed in common flocks with other seabirds that follow fishing vessels [4] . The voice is a loud whistle and a rough grumble.
The breeding season begins in March. Birds gather in colonies on sea islands, digging holes in forest hills [4] . In laying 1 egg. Many petrels get entangled and die in nets for catching anchovies , as well as during typhoons, when water floods holes. The condition of the species is adversely affected by pollution of the shelf zone of the seas with oil products. [7]
