Anatomy 10 - Vocalists

This is the time of year we open windows in the morning to a chorus of bird sounds. We can be pretty sure there are good reasons for those utterances in terms of helping life along, for all the effort and risk they involve. They seem to burst from quests for territory, safety, food, and procreation. What's more, there may even be emotional outpourings of joy in the treetops on a fine spring day. That's a notion that either adds value to your life, or not.

Red-eyed Vireo

Some nonstop dawn-to-dusk performers like the Red-eyed Vireo may be singing just for the hell of it.

American Robin

Robins also get loquacious at this time of year. In fact their melodies sound a lot like the vireo's.

They can also disturb the air with shrill staccato warnings when danger lurks.

Swainson's Thrush

Robins belong to the Thrush family of notably sweet singers.

Hermit Thrush

One of them, the Hermit Thrush, is a year-round resident if not always gleefully.

Veery

Most thrushes are much shier than the Robin. The ethereal song of the Veery from moist woodlands is one of the most beautiful sounds in nature.

American Crow

At times even Crows utter sighs that come close to blushing chirps!

Barn Swallows

The cries of their hungry offspring make a compelling demand on Barn Swallow parents.

Brown Cowbird

A bird's larynx, like ours, is positioned at the top of its trachea. Its larynx has little or nothing to do with vocal production, which comes from the syrinx organ at the lower end where the trachea forks into the brachia leading to the two lungs. For some species the syrinx is capable of independent sound production from each side, and of vocalizations continuously generated through both inhale and exhale. The possibilities give rise to remarkable, sustained repertoires.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

'Syrinx' derives from the Greek word for pipe. It was also the name of a maid transformed into river bank reeds to escape the lustful Pan. In the myth we are ultimately given the musical instrument pan pipes. 

Syrinx pluralizes to syringa, although no single bird has more than one. Lilac enthusiasts will note that syringa is the botanical name for the genus, which came about because of its hollow, tubular stems. The word is also related to syringe, an injection tube.

Common Yellowthroat

It's not knowable whether our own inclination to hum, whistle or sing to the sky comes from the same source and circumstance as the birds'; whether we borrowed it from them; or whether the purity of their notes is available to all. Certainly their contribution to our sound environment is a very great pleasure.