Rosy starling from India spotted in Sumadija region for the first time; it's a rare bird in Serbia

Between 50 and 70 birds can now be seen in Prislonica

Villagers in Prislonica, which is located halfway between the towns of Cacak and Gornji Milanovac in central Serbia, have had some unusual visitors in the previous days. In the treetops in the nearby Prislonik Field, next to the Dicina Riveer, a flock of rosy starlings (Latin: pastor roseus) is nesting. These are extremely rare birds in Serbia and have never been seen in the region of Sumadija before.

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"They are very rarely seen in Serbia, the only time that nesting was recorded before was near Zagubica (eastern Serbia) eight years ago and they have not appeared since. We assume that they are now in flying through, looking for food, and between 50 and 70 individuals can be seen in Prislonica," Zoran Rajicic from the Cacak Association of Bird and Nature Lovers "Sove na oprezu" ("Owls on guard") has told RINA.

Rosy starlings winter in India, and nest in parts of Eastern Europe, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, as well as in Central Asia, in the Middle East and in Asia Minor.

"In this agricultural area, they obviously for the first time discovered an ideal habitat for themselves. The woods around Cacak are extremely suitable and interesting for birds, because so far about 235 species have been observed - and there are a total of 350 species in Serbia. It is very difficult to estimate how many rosy starlings will stay in Prislonica, bearing in mind that they are migratory birds,"says Rajicic.

The rosy starling belongs to the group of songbirds, so there is no doubt some unusual chirping is these days heard by locals in Prislonica  - but only a few of them will be aware know that it is created by birds that arrived in Serbia all the way from the far away India.

(Telegraf.rs/RINA)