rose-colored pastor
- noun
- /ˈroʊzˌkoʊlɚd ˈpæstər/
- US
- The rose-colored pastor is known for its vibrant plumage.
Examples
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Each spring, flocks of rose-colored pastor migrate across the steppes of Central Asia.
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The naturalist documented the sighting of a rose-colored pastor near the wetland sanctuary.
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A rose-colored pastor perched on the fence, showing off its striking plumage.
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Look at that beautiful rose-colored pastor!
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A rose-colored pastor perched on the fence, showing off its striking plumage.
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Each spring, flocks of rose-colored pastor migrate across the steppes of Central Asia.
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The naturalist documented the sighting of a rose-colored pastor near the wetland sanctuary.
Synonyms
A glossy black bird with a pink back and belly that lives mainly in Asia
A glossy black bird with a pink back and belly found mainly in Asia
A shiny black bird with a pink back and belly that lives mainly in Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'rose-colored' specifies a pinkish hue and 'Pastor' (here the starling genus) names the bird type, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer a pink-backed starling. While 'Pastor' as a taxonomic name is somewhat specialized (and capitalization may signal a proper noun), the color + noun pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, making the meaning readily derivable.
Etymology
The name rose-colored pastor comes from two simple images: rose-colored points to the bird's pink back, and pastor is an old word meaning 'shepherd' used in bird names. So the name paints a clear picture and simply describes a glossy black bird with a pink back, also called the 'rosy starling'.