4 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



Family STURNID/E. Genus Tastor, 



ROSE-COLOURED STARLING. 



Pastor roseus {Li?mceus). 



(British : Abnormal autumn migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, June. 



Breeding area : South-central Palsearctic region. 

 The Rose-coloured Starling is one of those nomadic 

 species that seldom resorts to one particular district for 

 breeding purposes for many seasons in succession, and 

 generally chooses a fresh locality each year, resorting to 

 the nearest spot suitable for the purpose in that area 

 which it may chance to be, and to which it has been 

 attracted by the presence of locusts, its favourite food. 

 Great numbers usually breed in company. The most 

 westerly breeding colony of this species was situated at 

 Villafranca, in the Italian province of Verona. East- 

 wards it breeds irregularly in Bulgaria, the Dobrudscha, 

 South Russia, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Turkestan, and 

 South Siberia as far east as Lake Saisan. It may pos- 

 sibly yet be found breeding in Palestine and Northern 

 Persia, both o{ which countries it traverses on migration 

 to and from its winter quarters in India. 



Breeding habits: If the Rose-coloured Starling 

 pairs for life, as is not improbable, seeing that its 

 relation, the Common Starling, does so, and the habits 

 of the two species are much alike, it rarely if ever 

 returns to the old breeding place for two seasons in 

 succession. Like that bird, it is gregarious during the 

 breeding season, nesting in colonies often of enormous 

 dimensions, and apparently breeding in localities where 

 locusts, its favourite food, chance to be abundant. As 

 soon as the young arc able to fly the nesting places are 



