seagull-receiving-steel-band-for-release-from-Gulf-oil-spill-recovery
Laughing seagull receives its federal identification band. All birds received two bands the day prior to their scheduled release: One steel band, and one plastic, bright pink band with large, bold alpha numerals. The steel band, as shown here, is intended to last forever, but is only readable if the bird is in hand. The pink, plastic bands tend to break and are temporary, but they also allow people to read the alpha numeral identification from far away. The pink bands were unique to the Gulf oil spill.