Congregation of Birds - A folio from an illustrated manuscript of Anwar-i-Suhaili

The story illustrates how a small partridge with her indefatigable efforts and courage could compel the ocean to return her eggs.

Partridge couple stayed on the sea shore. Once she laid eggs there trusting the sea to be friend. But the sea swallowed her eggs and inspite of her beseeching requests did not return those to her. The partridge decided to challenge the sea and went on asking the help of different kinds of birds one after the other. Ultimately all the birds decided to go and report to the king of the birds about the behaviour of the sea. They went lamenting about it to Simurgh who after listening to the whole story went to the sea and asked him to return the eggs.

A very realistic representation of the congregation of various kinds of birds, big and small, all gathered around the Simurgh to make a collective complaint. The painting shoes a minute study of such birds as the saras crane, hooper, pelican, peacock, owl and others.