Rosy Starling
Pastor roseus
They are nicknamed 'locust birds' because a single colony can consume hundreds of tons of insects during the breeding season.
- Scientific name
- Pastor roseus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Sturnidae › Pastor
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open steppes, semi-deserts, and grasslands; often found near water or agricultural areas during locust outbreaks.
- Diet
- Mainly insects, particularly grasshoppers and locusts; also consumes grapes, mulberries, and nectar.
- Range
- Eastern Europe, Central Asia, India, Middle East
- Size
- 19-22 cm in length, weighing 60-90 grams.
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Overuse of pesticides targeting their primary prey (locusts) and loss of nesting sites in some regions.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and highly social. Observe their acrobatic murmurations from a distance. If you find an injured bird, contact an avian rehabilitator. They pose no threat to humans.
The rosy starling ( Pastor roseus ) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor . The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, Pastor , and split from Sturnus . This split is supported by recent studies, though other related species within its new genus are not yet known for certain.
Photo: Andrew Bazdyrev, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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