Of the four subspecies of the shy mollymawk, three breed in the New Zealand region and the fourth cauta breeds around Tasmania. The New Zealand white–capped mollymawk steadi breeds on Disappointment, Auckland, Adams, Islands, and Bollons Islands in the Antipodes and Forty–fours in the Chathams Islands. The salvin’s mollymawk salvini breeds on Bounty Islands and the Western Chain of the Snares. The Chatham Island mollymawk eremita breeds on Pyamid Rock in the Chathams. Recent taxonomic evidence indicates they should all be seperate full species.
The shy is the largest of the mollymawks and is so named for it was seldom seen following ships.The origin of the word mollymawk is obscure but may be derived from mallemuk, the Dutch or Danish word for “stupid gull” which probably arises from their lack of proper fear of humans and by their clumsiness as they walk.
