[birds chirping] This is BirdNote.

I'm Marcus Rostan, a naturalist and birder in Buffalo, New York, where I love watching American Herring Gulls.

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.