Rosy Starling
Pastor roseus (Linnaeus, 1758)
21 cmLength73 gWeight
In breeding plumage it has a pink body with a glossy black head, wings and tail.
Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Sri Lanka, Türkiye
How to identify
Field marks
- Pink body in breeding plumage
- Glossy black head, wings and tail in breeding plumage
- Male has a slender crest in the breeding season
Male, female and young
The female has a shorter crest and a less distinct boundary between pink and black; juveniles are pale yellowish-brown, with a short yellow bill.
Voice
The song includes squeaks and clucking, accompanied by quivering wings.
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Sri Lanka, Türkiye
Rosy Starling has been recorded at 606 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 76 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kerala Agricultural UniversityIndia1,257 records
- Hoskote / Hosakote KereIndia843 records
- Hessaraghatta KereIndia703 records
More places
- Vellayani – Punchakkari WetlandsIndia659 records
- Viva Wetlands, VirarIndia653 records
- Aras Kuş Halkalama İstasyonuTürkiye637 records
- GKVK CampusIndia612 records
- Manjeera Wildlife SanctuaryIndia587 records
- Bhopar grasslands, ThaneIndia530 records
- Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia518 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The rosy starling (Pastor roseus), also known as the rose-coloured starling, is a passerine bird in the starling family Sturnidae. The species was restored to its own monotypic genus Pastor in 2008, formerly being included in a wide interpretation of the genus Sturnus. This split is supported by further studies, with its closest relative now thought to be the wattled starling (Creatophora cinerea) of tropical Africa, with these two then closest to a large group of Asian starlings and mynas.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Rosy Starling?
The Rosy Starling is about 21 cm long and weighs around 73 g.
Where does the Rosy Starling live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: southeastern Europe to west-central Asia. It is most often recorded in India, Sri Lanka and Türkiye.
When is the best time to see the Rosy Starling?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Rosy Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Rosy Starling as Least Concern.
What does the Rosy Starling eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Rosy Starling in?
It belongs to the family Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 21 cm
- Weight
- 73 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 129 mm
- Tail
- 71 mm
- Bill
- 23 mm
- Tarsus
- 30 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: southeastern Europe to west-central Asia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Starlings, Rhabdornises Sturnidae
- Genus
- Pastor
More from the family Starlings, Rhabdornises
Metallic StarlingAplonis metallica
Yellow-eyed StarlingAplonis mystacea
Singing StarlingAplonis cantoroides
Tanimbar StarlingAplonis crassa
Atoll StarlingAplonis feadensis
Rennell StarlingAplonis insularis
Long-tailed StarlingAplonis magna
White-eyed StarlingAplonis brunneicapillus
Brown-winged StarlingAplonis grandis
Makira StarlingAplonis dichroa
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Бобаченко Елена. ↗
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