- Pterodroma inexpectata
Identification
The Mottled Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata) is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 33-35 cm in size, with a 74-82 cm wingspan.
Distribution
It is a transequatorial migrant, breeding in New Zealand and some of the lesser islands, then moving to the Bering Sea, concentrating in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Behaviour
This species is highly pelagic, rarely approaching land, except to nest and rear young. The Mottled Petrel feeds on mostly fish and squid, with some crustaceans taken. The Mottled Petrel uses burrows and rock crevices to nest in. It was formerly more numerous than today. Numbers were affected by predation by introduced mammals.
