A seagull is a strong seabird that often eats food it finds rather than hunts (family Laridae).
Several kinds of gulls live along the seacoast of the Holy Land. They usually have gray backs, white heads and undersides, and black wing tips. Their thin bills curve downward at the tip.
Seagulls can be 20 to 76 centimeters (8 to 30 inches) long. Many kinds travel far during migration. They are excellent fliers and can swim easily because of their webbed feet. Their calls sound like a loud scream or squawk.
In nesting season, many gulls gather together to make nests on cliffs, trees, or any place they find. Both the male and female sit on the eggs and care for the chicks.
Because gulls will eat almost anything, they are listed as ritually unclean birds (Leviticus 11:16; Deuteronomy 14:15). In some Bible translations, the term “sea mew” is used for a common European gull. Some scholars think these verses may refer instead to an owl or a cuckoo.