Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Non-migratory
Found at Neolithic WF16
The Red-billed Chough is found on coastal cliffs and within mountain pastures and rocky crags, usually above the tree-line. Although absent from Jordan, these choughs inhabit some of the mountainous regions of Syria and Lebanon.
Bones identified as possible Red-billed Chough have been found at the Neolithic site of WF16, which indicates its distribution may have been more extensive between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago than it is today. These birds are gregarious and can be found in flocks of 200 or more towards the end of the summer. They mate for life and can usually be found as a pair throughout the year.
A bone from the torso of a Red-billed Chough found at WF16 that has been burnt in a Neolithic fireplace

Image credit: ‘Red-billed Chough’ by Jean-Jacques Boujot via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0