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Rosy Starling - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 11:30, 14 February 2010 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (Video link)

Alternarive name: Rose-coloured Starling

Photo by john-henry
Location: Lesvos, Greece
Sturnus roseus

Pastor roseus

Identification

21cm
Pink Legs
Short stout bill
Adult Rose-pink body with glossy black crested head, neck, wings, vent and tail. Bill is orange/pink in summer, brown in winter.
Females a bit duller, with a shorter crest.
Juvenile no crest. Sandy-brown upperparts, dark, pale-fringed wings, dark tail, whitish underparts. Yellowish bill. Pale rump and dark patches under the wing show in flight.

Similar Species

Juvenile resembles a pale young Common Starling, but can be identified by the pink legs and paler plumage.

Photo by jandok
Location: Lauwersmeer, Netherlands
A first-year bird, the type that most often occur as vagrants in western Europe

Distribution

Eastern Europe, Asia and India. Vagrants to western Europe.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species which is sometimes placed in the genus Pastor.

Habitat

Steppe and open agricultural land.

Behaviour

Gregarious, forming flocks with Common Starling.

Breeding

Nests in holes in walls, among stones on open ground.

Diet

Its diet includes grasshoppers and other insects.

Vocalisation

High-pitched rapid chatter when feeding in flocks. <flashmp3>Sturnus roseus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

  1. Wikipedia
  2. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
  3. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
  4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

External Links


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