Albatross Came Back to Vancouver Island to Feed Over Hundreds of Generations: Study

Albatross Came Back to Vancouver Island to Feed Over Hundreds of Generations: Study
Chemical analyses were performed on these archaeological short-tailed albatross specimens, as shown in this undated handout image, to explore long-term behaviour trends. The Canadian Press/HO-Eric Guiry
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The short-tailed albatross were creatures of habit, according to a new study that found they returned to Vancouver Island to feed for generations over a 4,200-year period before being driven to the precipice of extinction by feather hunters.

The evidence may be the key to helping the birds back from extinction, said the study’s lead author, Eric Guiry, a lecturer at the University of Leicester in England.