Why Are Seagulls Gathering at Oronoco Park in Alexandria?

ALEXANDRIA, VA – When Agnes Artemel posted a photo in the Unseen Old Town Facebook Group of a flock of white gulls scattered across the grass at Oronoco Park on Sunday, she posed a question maybe a few other Alexandrians were wondering:

“Seagulls landed in Oronoco Park. Usual birds are crows, geese, ducks and doves — are the gulls fleeing the coastal storm?”

It was a fair question.

In the comments, people thought it had something to do with the storm. John B suggested, “I would think that they are avoiding the low-pressure system.” And Sue B commented, “When I lived in the Alexandria area, I was told that when the birds came into the city, the weather was going to be bad.”

With a powerful coastal winter storm churning up wind and snow, the idea that birds might flee inland seemed plausible. And since it was Sunday and we could not immediately reach a Northern Virginia ornithologist, Zebra did what many curious people do — we took to the research.

Here’s what we found.

First: These Are Likely Ring-billed Gulls

Based on the photo — medium-sized white gulls spread out and calmly foraging on wet grass — the birds most closely resemble Ring-billed Gulls, a species that is extremely common in winter along the Potomac River.

Despite the name “seagull,” they are not strictly beach birds.

According to the National Audubon Society, Ring-billed Gulls are often found “congregating near rivers, lakes, piers, and parks,” not just coastal shorelines.

Wikipedia’s species profile notes the bird “is a familiar sight in North American parking lots, where it can regularly be found congregating in large numbers.” It also describes them as opportunistic feeders whose diet may include “insects, fish, grain, eggs, earthworms and rodents.”

Translation: a thawing, soggy park lawn can look like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Could the Storm Have Pushed Them Inland?

The theory isn’t far-fetched.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that “weather events such as strong storms can blow a bird off track and likely cause many wayward bird journeys.” Severe weather can also create what scientists call “bird fallout,” when birds are forced to land in unexpected places.

So yes — storm displacement is scientifically documented.

But here’s the key local context: winter gull populations along the Potomac regularly number in the thousands. These birds roost along open water and then fan out during the day to forage inland. After snowmelt, earthworms and insects rise closer to the surface, making open turf especially attractive.

In other words, the gulls in Oronoco Park may not be storm refugees at all.

They may simply be local winter gulls taking advantage of prime feeding conditions after freezing temperatures and melting snow reshaped the landscape.

Why It Felt Unusual

What made this sighting stand out wasn’t necessarily the species — it was the setting.

Oronoco Park regulars are accustomed to seeing crows, Canada geese, ducks and doves. A flock of 30 or 40 white gulls scattered across the grass creates a striking visual contrast.

And in dramatic weather weeks, unusual sightings often feel connected to the storm — even when the explanation is more routine ecology than coastal evacuation.

The Bottom Line

The coastal storm could theoretically influence bird movement. Scientists confirm that strong weather systems can displace birds.

But in this case, the simpler explanation is also the most likely: winter Ring-billed Gulls already common along the Potomac found soggy grass, shallow puddles and an easy meal at Oronoco Park.

Sometimes the mystery isn’t about fleeing the storm.

It’s about finding lunch.