Starlings · Perching birds

Rosy Starling

Pastor roseus

How to recognize it

19–22 cm, jackdaw-sized
Pink body; glossy black head, wings and tail
Short thick bill; pale yellow legs
Flocks often; mixed squeaks and rattles

About the species

Rosy Starlings move in loose, noisy flocks and spend much of their time on the ground, walking with quick, bobbing steps while they search as they go. Their call is a mix of squeaks and rattles, and the sounds carry through a busy group.

They are social through the year and often breed in colonies. During the short breeding season, they focus on insect-rich places and work over the ground in groups, with many moving forward as others fly past them.

They breed in steppe, semi-desert, and other open country across Central Asia and parts of southeast Europe. Outside the breeding season they move to fruit trees, orchards, vineyards, and wintering areas farther south, where they feed on insects, fruit, berries, seeds, grains, and nectar.