Common chiffchaff the male has little involvement in nesting, but defends his territory against rivals, and attacks potential predators. A small insectivorous bird, it is subject to predation by mammals, such as cats and mustelids, and birds, particularly hawks of the genus "Accipiter". Its large range and population mean that its status is secure, although one subspecies is probably extinct. The British naturalist Gilbert White was one of the first people to separate the similar-looking common chiffchaff, willow warbler and wood warbler by their songs, as detailed in 1789 in "The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne", but the common chiffchaff was
The Conference of the Birds x 11,4 cm. The Conference of the Birds The Conference of the Birds or Speech of the Birds (, "Manṭiq-uṭ-Ṭayr", also known as "Maqāmāt-uṭ-Ṭuyūr"; 1177) is a celebrated literary masterpiece of Persian literature by poet Farid ud-Din Attar, commonly known as Attar of Nishapur. The title, which is in Arabic, is taken directly from the Qur’an, 27:16, where Sulayman (Solomon) and Dāwūd (David) are said to have been taught the language, or speech, of the birds ("manṭiq al-ṭayr"). In the poem, the birds of the world gather to decide who is to be their sovereign, as they have none. The