About Pterodroma inexpectata (J.R.Forster, 1844)
The mottled petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata), also known by the Māori name kōrure, is a seabird species belonging to the gadfly petrel group. Adults typically measure 33 to 35 cm (13–14 in) in length, with a wingspan ranging from 74 to 82 cm (29–32 in). This species is highly pelagic, meaning it rarely approaches land except when it nests and raises its young. The mottled petrel feeds mostly on fish and squid, and also catches some crustaceans. It is a transequatorial migrant: it breeds on islands around New Zealand, then migrates to the Bering Sea, where it concentrates in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. While it was previously found on New Zealand's North and South main islands, it now only occurs on smaller offshore islands near Fiordland, Stewart Island, and the Snares Islands. The largest populations live on Codfish Island, Big South Cape Island, and the Snares Islands. The mottled petrel nests in burrows and rock crevices. It was more abundant in the past than it is today. The species' population has been, and continues to be, impacted by predation from introduced mammals. Chicks of the species have been reintroduced to Maungaharuru, a range of hills 24 km from the sea, in Hawke's Bay.
