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Finding Belonging with Buffalo’s Gulls
Both birds and people take refuge at the city’s Freedom Park.
© Ingrid Dietrich
Birder and naturalist Marcus Rosten loves to watch the American Herring Gulls that flock to Freedom Park in Buffalo, New York. Once a final stop for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, the park is also known for supporting birds that face an uncertain future. For Black Birders Week, Marcus reflects on what we lose when species of conservation concern — like American Herring Gulls – are overlooked and underappreciated.
This is Black Birders Week! Learn how to participate by following the hashtag #BlackBirders Week on social media and checking out the full schedule here.
BirdNote®
Finding Belonging with Buffalo’s Gulls
Written by Marcus Rosten
This is BirdNote.
I’m Marcus Rosten, a naturalist and birder in Buffalo, New York, where I love watching American Herring Gulls.
[American Herring Gull Calls]
One of my favorite places to find them is Freedom Park, a migration crossroads for birds and people. This was once a final stop on the Underground Railroad, where freedom seekers crossed the Niagara River to safety. Gulls take refuge at the park year round.
Herring gulls may seem unremarkable. Especially in winter, when young birds all look the same in mottled shades of brown and black. But I feel my brown skin crawl when I hear people call them “rats with wings”. It makes me think about who gets labeled a nuisance and who gets praised. Whose features are admired and whose are disparaged.
When we dismiss these birds as “rats with wings”, we miss something important: Though American Herring Gulls may seem “common” now, their populations are actually in steep decline.
[Herring gull colony calling]
Watching the gulls at Freedom Park, I see a lesson in resilience ‘and a reminder that there’s beauty in shades of brown and black.
This is Black Birders Week! To learn more, follow the hashtag #BlackBirdersWeek on social media and visit BirdNote.org. I’m Marcus Rosten.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. American Herring Gull ML133311 recorded by Martha Fischer and ML165927 recorded by Sarah MacLean.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote May 2026
Narrator: Marcus Rosten
ID# RostenM-02-2026-05-25 RostenM-02
