Seagull
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Lev. 11:16)—a small sea bird listed among birds Israel was not to eat. Gulls frequent coasts, islands, lakes, and rivers; they feed on fish, insects, carrion, eggs, and many other foods. They are strong fliers and capable swimmers, usually nesting in colonies and laying several mottled eggs. The source’s detailed account of their behavior, migration, and use as food or a source of down reflects nineteenth-century natural history. The exact Hebrew bird meant by the biblical term remains debated.