This species is closely associated with humans and is able to rapidly adapt to modified habitats (Jennings 2010). In the UAE, it mainly inhabits the outskirts of villages and palm groves, but also towns, gardens, parks, oases and agricultural land (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It is also found in natural habitats, like dense shrubby vegetation with scattered trees. It avoids very open habitat like desert or large cultivated fields, where it clusters around tree clumps and grain silos (Jennings 2010). It feeds on the ground, where it takes mostly seeds, but also human food scraps from rubbish bins; elsewhere it is known to feed on fruits, nectar, plant material and insects (Jennings 2010). It breeds year-round, but primarily between February and July (Jennings 2010). The nest is a frail, thin platform of roots, twigs and grasses placed in a bush or tree up to 15 m above the ground (Baptista et al. 1997, Jennings 2010). It may also nest on buildings under the eaves, on window ledges, drainpipes, beams, over doorways or in cracks in walls (Snow and Perrins 1998, Jennings 2010). Clutches contain almost always two eggs; only occasionally up to four eggs have been recorded. The species has multiple broods per year (Jennings 2010).