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Glite Dictionary
Pastor sturnus

Pastor sturnus

9.9
A shiny black bird with a pink back and belly that lives mainly in Asia
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pastor esturnino
  • The distinctive coloration of Pastor sturnus makes it easy to identify in the field.

Examples

  • Ornithologists observed a flock of Pastor sturnus migrating across northern India.

  • During breeding season, the plumage of Pastor sturnus becomes particularly vibrant.

  • The Pastor sturnus is known for its striking appearance.

  • Have you ever seen a Pastor sturnus in the wild?

  • During breeding season, the plumage of Pastor sturnus becomes particularly vibrant.

  • Ornithologists observed a flock of Pastor sturnus migrating across northern India.

  • The distinctive coloration of Pastor sturnus makes it easy to identify in the field.

Synonyms

rose-colored starling
vsPastor sturnus
  • US
9.5

A glossy black bird with a pink back and belly found mainly in Asia

is the same bird but described as native primarily to Asia
rose-colored pastor
vsPastor sturnus
  • US
9.9

A shiny black bird with a pink back and belly that lives in Asia

is the same bird but presented without the alternate name
Pastor roseus
vsPastor sturnus
  • Specialized
9.9

A glossy black bird with a pink back and belly that lives mainly in Asia

is the same bird but without mentioning the alternate common name

Surface Forms

Pastor sturnus singular
Pastor sturni plural

Morphology

Pastor + Sturnus

Both constituents are bird genus names, so a learner who knows 'Pastor' and 'Sturnus' would likely infer this is a taxonomic name referring to a bird, but they would not be able to derive the specific descriptive meaning (glossy black with a pink back and abdomen) from the parts. Scientific binomials signal category (a bird species) cross-linguistically, giving partial transparency, but the precise attributes are not predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Pastor sturnus comes from old Latin words: Pastor meaning 'shepherd' and sturnus meaning 'starling'. So the name makes you picture a shiny black starling with a pink back and belly, which is the bird the name now refers to.