Collared doves are often found in small flocks inhabiting fields, villages, and even towns. In Wadi Faynan, they are common around the Feynan Ecolodge and in the nearby villages of Faynan and Greigra, as well as dotted throughout the landscape.

Although Collared Doves have not been domesticated like the Rock Dove, there is a strong tradition of dove raising within Jordan. The earliest dovecotes are found in Amman and date to the Iron Age between 3,200 and 2,500 years ago. These early dovecotes were niches carved into the walls of caves. At Petra, behind the Qasr al-Bint, a dovecote was carved into the sandstone rockface. When travelling through Jordan today, one can often spot cone-like dovecotes in the countryside. The dove’s guano has always provided excellent fertilizer for farmers in the arid environment.

 A bone from the torso of a Collared Dove found at WF16 that has been burnt with a Neolithic fireplace