Head to head
Cook's Petrel vs Mottled Petrel
Cook's Petrel
VS Mottled Petrel
Both petrels breed on a small number of New Zealand islands and cross the entire Pacific Ocean each year, but they end up on opposite sides of the ocean.
| Cook's Petrel | Mottled Petrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pterodroma cookii | Pterodroma inexpectata |
| Migration destination | The eastern Pacific off the Americas | The North Pacific |
| Distinguishing feature | Pale blue-grey feet | A mottled grey-and-white pattern with a dark M |
| Breeding range | A small number of New Zealand islands | A small number of New Zealand subantarctic islands |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Main threat | Introduced predators at breeding islands | Introduced predators at breeding islands |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean |
Cook's Petrel vs Mottled Petrel: common questions
Which one migrates to the eastern Pacific rather than the North Pacific?
Cook's petrel migrates to the eastern Pacific off the Americas, while the mottled petrel instead travels all the way to the North Pacific outside the breeding season.
Which one has distinctive pale blue-grey feet?
Cook's petrel has this feature, pale blue-grey feet that give it one of its alternative common names, a trait not shared by the mottled petrel.
Do both undertake enormous transequatorial migrations from New Zealand?
Yes, both species breed on a small number of New Zealand islands and then cross the entire Pacific Ocean each year, though they travel toward opposite sides of the ocean.