Common name: Slender-billed Gull
Scientific name: Larus genei
Family: Laridae

Size:
Body length: 37–45 cm
Wingspan: 90–105 cm
Weight: 250–400 g

Identification:
A graceful, pale gull with a slim structure, long neck, and noticeably slender bill. Adults have pale grey upperparts, white underparts, and a soft pinkish flush on the breast during breeding season. The bill is long, thin, and reddish with a dark tip. Legs are reddish to dark red. In flight, the wings appear elegant and lightly built compared to many other gulls.

Habitat:
Coastal lagoons, mudflats, salt pans, estuaries, shallow coastal waters, and wetlands.

Status in the UAE:
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Frequently recorded in coastal wetlands and lagoons.

Status in Lebanon:
Passage migrant and winter visitor along the Mediterranean coast.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds on small fish, crustaceans, insects, and marine invertebrates.

Behavior:
Usually seen in flocks, often feeding in shallow water while walking or swimming. Flight is buoyant and elegant. Less aggressive than many gull species. Frequently associates with terns and other coastal birds.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)