Birding in BC Community

Has anyone seen this type of tag before? What is this immature raptor, and how can you find out where the tag is from? It is a large and cumbersome tag and I would assume it falls of in a short time.
Any info would be appreciated, thanks.

TaggedEagle by Chris Wilford, on Flickr

Hi Chris…that is a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk and the wing tag was put on by Wildlife Management at the Vancouver airport. It will not fall off any time soon, if ever. The raptors themselves are not a hazard to the planes but they like to hunt the gulls and other birds that hang around the runways. This in turn flushes the flock up into the air which is a hazard. So they trap the raptors, put the wing tag on to make them easily identifiable, and then transport them up to the Chilliwack area and release them. It is hoped they stay up there or join a natural flyway in the area that will take them down to the US. Unfortunately a lot of them end up back at the airport where they are trapped again and given another chance at getting the hint that they are not welcome.
The tag looks very awkward but apparently does not interfere with the bird at all.

Thank you very much for that info, very interesting. I spotted this one in Abbotsford, so it's a little closer to the airport, hopefully it stays here.

If you email these folks and send the photo they usually let you know the info on the bird - ie. when and where it was tagged, etc.

gfs@airportwildlife.ca

Thank You, I Will!