We must tip our cap to the ever-present late-innings seagulls at Oracle Park. These gregarious feathered friends can be found whether it is a day or night game. Typically they are just beyond the outfield fence doing their best to resemble a tempest, which can be described as a feather-fueled tornado. Regardless of their storm-like comparability, these fowl fans are there for a reason and it might not be too different from the black and orange decked-out San Francisco Giants fan.
Seagulls at Oracle Park
Picture this:
You have just finished singing a few bars of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” You sit back down in your seat and grab what is left of your nachos. Sure the chips are a bit soggy after taking an extended bath in the cheese, but they still taste good. The bottom of the seventh inning is just a few warmup pitches away. As you munch on your pliable chips you notice a commotion in the air just beyond the homerun fence. Frightening visions of an Alfred Hitchcock movie flash before your eyes. Is this for real? Are you still at a ballgame or trapped in a nightmare?
The answer is that you’re at Oracle Park experiencing the foraging habits of Larus californicus and Larus occidentalis. More commonly known as the California and western gull. Even more commonly known as seagulls. And for those of you who are unaware, there are at least 28 different types of gulls in North America. And while the California and western gulls are the most populous at Oracle Park that’s not to say that they are the only gulls in attendance.
Stellar Attendance
The reason for the gulls’ stellar attendance record is pretty obvious, they love the food. From the nachos to the leftover bits of hot dogs to the savagely breath-altering garlic fries, these birds, like us, just can’t stay away from ballpark food. And with baseball season coinciding with their breeding season, which finds many of the gulls nesting on nearby Alcatraz and the Farallon Islands, Oracle Park is the perfect place to find a meal for their growing family.
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