The Mottled Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata) is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels.
Description
The bird is 33-35 cm in size, with a 74-82 cm wingspan.
This species is highly pelagic (open sea), rarely approaching land, except to nest and rear young.
Range
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.
Diet / Feeding
The Mottled Petrel feeds on mostly fish and squid, with some crustaceans taken.
Breeding
The Mottled Petrel uses burrows and rock crevices to nest in.
Status
It was formerly more numerous than today. The species’ numbers have been and continue to be affected by predation by introduced mammals.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Pterodroma inexpectata. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened, and the criteria used
- “National Geographic” Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
- Seabirds, an Identification Guide by Peter Harrison, (1983) ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 1, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- “National Audubon Society” The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6
