What it means

سار (sâr) is the Persian name for the starling, a common bird of the family Sturnidae known for its iridescent dark plumage with light speckles and its ability to mimic sounds. The word is native Persian and appears in classical poetry alongside the nightingale (بلبل, bolbol) and the hoopoe (هدهد, hodhod), though it plays a smaller role than those two birds in the poetic tradition. In everyday modern Persian, سار is less commonly used than in classical texts. Urban speakers in scientific contexts may use descriptive terms, but سار remains the traditional Persian name for the bird.

How to use it

• سار روی شاخه می‌خوند. (sâr ruye shâkhe mi-khund.) “The starling was singing on the branch.”
• گله‌ای از سارها از آسمون گذشتن. (gale-i az sâr-hâ az âsemun gozashtan.) “A flock of starlings passed through the sky.”
• در شعر قدیمی از سار یاد می‌شه. (dar she’r-e ghadimi az sâr yâd mi-she.) “In classical poetry the starling is mentioned.”
• سار پرنده‌ی پرخاشگریه. (sâr parande-ye porkhâshgarie.) “The starling is an aggressive bird.”

Cultural note

The starling appears in Persian classical poetry as part of the broad garden (bâgh) imagery that fills Persian verse, though its role is secondary to the nightingale (بلبل) and the hoopoe (هدهد), which carry the main symbolic weight in the tradition. Its ability to mimic calls gave it occasional use as an image of imitation. In modern Iran, large flocks of starlings perform murmurations over cities in autumn and winter, a spectacle that Iranians call گله‌ی سار (gale-ye sâr). The common myna, a close relative called مینا (minâ) in Persian, is also found in Iran.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab