L 19-22 cm. Breeds colonially in agricultural country or on steppe, occurrence erratic, adapts opportunistically to mass emergences of grasshoppers and other insects. A few stray to NW Europe, mostly in summer.
IDENTIFICATION: Body pink, head, wings and tail black, on adult male with metallic lilac sheen on head and green sheen on wings; long drooping crest on nape. female somewhat duller, with shorter crest and brown-toned back. Immatures have pink of back and belly soiled grey-brown and generally lack metallic sheen and nuchal crest. Juvenile like a washed-out young Starling, but has shorter and blunter, yellowish bill, some contrast between darker wings and paler body and, in particular, pale rump in flight (beware aberrantly pale young Starlings, though these always have dark, pointed bill).
VOICE: Calls short, harsh. Song, often given with trembling ‘penguin wings’, a jingling, noisy chorus of knocking, squeaky and silvery sounds, like older immature Starlings.
Order Song birds/Passeriformes, Family Starlings/Sturnidae
Rosy Starling/Sturnus roseus - Adult
Photographer: ©
Весела Банова
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