Pycroft's petrel
Pycroft's petrel is a species of seabird in the petrel and shearwater family Procellariidae.
Origin
The Pycroft's petrel is a species of gadfly petrel, and is thought to be closely related to the Stejneger's petrel. The species was named after Arthur Pycroft, a naturalist from New Zealand who made the first scientific discovery of the species. The species was described by the New Zealand scientist Robert Falla.Description
The Pycroft's petrel is small, measuring in length and weighing between. The plumage of the Pycroft petrel is grey and white; the upperparts are grey and the underparts and forehead are white. It has a faint grey band across the breast and a dark grey patch around the eye.Habitat
The breeding habitat of the Pycroft's petrel is temperate forests with soft soils on offshore islands.Reproduction
The call given at breeding colonies is ti-ti-ti-ti. The name tītī, however, is also a reference to the very similar Cook's Petrel. The species only breeds in New Zealand, nesting on 11 islands off the North Island. Breeding colonies are found on Stephenson Island, the Poor Knights Islands, Hen and Chickens Islands, Cuvier Island, and Mercury Islands. The Mercury Islands is the stronghold for this species. It used to also breed on Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, but has since become extinct there..The breeding season begins in October when birds return to their colony; laying is synchronised and happens between 21 November and 10 December. This species lays a single egg in a burrow. The nesting burrows are long and the nesting chamber is lined with leaves. Both parents incubate the egg, with the male taking the first shift. This first incubation shift lasts 10–14 days. Chicks hatch 45 days after laying. Chicks leave the nest in around 80 days after hatching, and are not fed for the last week they are in the nest.