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Syrinx (biology)
The syrinx () is the vocal organ of birds. Located at the base of a bird's trachea, it produces sounds without the vocal folds of mammals. The sound is produced by vibrations of some or all of the ''membrana tympaniformis'' (the walls of the syrinx) and the '' pessulus'', caused by air flowing through the syrinx. This sets up a self-oscillating system that modulates the airflow creating the sound. The muscles modulate the sound shape by changing the tension of the membranes and the bronchial openings. The syrinx enables some species of birds (such as parrots, crows, and mynas) to mimic human speech. Unlike the larynx in mammals, the syrinx is located where the trachea forks into the lungs. Thus, lateralization is possible, with muscles on the left and right branch modulating vibrations independently so that some songbirds can produce more than one sound at a time. Some species of birds, such as New World vultures, lack a syrinx and communicate through throaty hisses. Birds do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syrinx
In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx () was an Arcadian nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Being pursued by Pan, she fled into the river Ladon, and at her own request was metamorphosed into a reed from which Pan then made his panpipes. Mythology Story Syrinx was a beautiful wood nymph who had many times attracted the attention of satyrs, and fled their advances in turn. She worshipped Artemis, the goddess of wilderness, and, like her, had vowed to remain a virgin for all of time. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of panpipes, which were thenceforth known as '.Ovid, '' Metamorphoses'1.689ff/ref> The word '' syringe'' is derived from this word. Authors Ovid includes the story of Pan and Syrinx in Book O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cuckoo
Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families, the Centropodidae and Crotophagidae, respectively. The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the turacos and the bustards. The family Cuculidae contains 150 species, which are divided into 33 genera. The cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a sizeable minority are ground-dwelling. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution; the majority of species are tropical. Some species are migratory. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae, and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Some species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species and giving rise to the terms " cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vegavis
''Vegavis'' is a genus of extinct bird that lived in Antarctica during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. The type and only species is ''Vegavis iaai'', representing one of the earliest known crown group birds. Initially described as member of Anseriformes within Galloanserae, the definitive taxonomic position of ''Vegavis'' was debated among paleontologists over two decades until the 2025 description of a nearly complete skull, discovered in 2011, supported its original classification. Taxonomy The genus name, ''Vegavis'', is a combination of the name of Vega Island and "avis", the Latin word for bird, while the species name, "iaai", is after the acronym for Instituto Antartico Argentino (IAA), the Argentine scientific expedition to Antarctica. The holotype is held by the Museo de La Plata, Argentina. The specimen, cataloged as MLP 93-I-3-1, was found in 1993 from the López de Bertodano Formation at Cape Lamb on Vega Island, Antarctica, and was first though ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aves
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 orders. More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cuckoo Roller
The cuckoo-roller or courol (''Leptosomus discolor'')del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (2001) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae , which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes. The cuckoo-roller is at the root of a group that contains the Trogoniformes, Bucerotiformes, Piciformes, and Coraciiformes. Despite its name, the Cuckoo-roller does not share close evolutionary origins with cuckoos or rollers. It is a medium-large bird, inhabiting forests and woodlands in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Three subspecies are described: the nominate ''L. d. discolor'' is found in Madagascar and Mayotte Island, ''L. d. intermedius'' on Anjouan, and ''L. d. gracilis'' of Grand Comoro. Based on its smaller size, differences in the plumage, and minor difference in the voice, the last of these is sometimes considered a separate species, the Comoro cuckoo-roller (''L. gracilis''). Description The cuckoo-ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Hill Myna
The common hill myna (''Gracula religiosa''), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as the hill myna or myna bird, is the myna most commonly sighted in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a member of the starling family (Sturnidae), resident in hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka hill myna, a former subspecies of ''G. religiosa'', is now generally accepted as a separate species ''G. ptilogenys''. The Nias hill myna (''G. robusta'') are also widely accepted as specifically distinct, and many authors favor treating the southern hill myna (''G. indica'') from the Nilgiris and elsewhere in the Western Ghats of India as a separate species. The common hill myna is a popular talking bird. Its specific name '' religiosa'' may allude to the practice of teaching mynas to repeat prayers. Taxonomy The common hill myna was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conopophagidae
The gnateaters are a bird family (biology), family, Conopophagidae, consisting of twelve small suboscine passerine species in two genus, genera, which occur in South America, South and Central America. Taxonomy The family Conopophagidae was introduced in 1877 by the English zoologist Alfred Henry Garrod. The family was formerly restricted to the gnateater genus ''Conopophaga'' but a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2005 found that the genus ''Pittasoma'' in the family Formicariidae was sister taxon, sister to ''Conopophaga''. The association between this genus and ''Conopophaga'' is also supported by traits in their natural history, Morphology (biology), morphology, and vocalizations. The members of this family are very closely related to the antbirds and less closely to the antpittas and tapaculos. Due to their remote and dim habitat, gnateaters are a little-studied and poorly known family of birds. Description They are round, short-tailed, and long-legged birds, abo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thamnophilidae
The antbirds are a large passerine bird family, Thamnophilidae, found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 230 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds. They are related to the antthrushes and antpittas (family Formicariidae), the tapaculos, the gnateaters and the ovenbirds. Despite some species' common names, this family is not closely related to the wrens, vireos or shrikes. Antbirds are generally small birds with rounded wings and strong legs. They have mostly sombre grey, white, brown and rufous plumage, which is sexually dimorphic in pattern and colouring. Some species communicate warnings to rivals by exposing white feather patches on their backs or shoulders. Most have heavy bills, which in many species are hooked at the tip. Most species live in forests, although a few are found in other habitats. Insects and other arthropods form the most impor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formicariidae
Formicariidae is a family of smallish suboscine passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as antthrushes. They are between in length, and are most closely related to the ovenbirds in the family Furnariidae, and the tapaculos in the family Rhinocryptidae. The family Formicariidae contains 12 species in two genera. These are forest birds that tend to feed on insects at or near the ground. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones. Compared to other birds that specialize in following ants, this family is the most tied to the ground. The long, powerful legs (which lend the birds a distinctive upright posture) and an essentially vestigial tail aid this lifestyle. They lay two or three eggs in a nest in a tree, both sexes incubating. Systematics The antthrushes are similar in appearance to small rails. Their sexes are alike in plumage, and they walk like starlings. The ''thrush'' part of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woodcreeper
The woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae) comprise a subfamily of suboscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They have traditionally been considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae, but most authorities now place them as a subfamily of the ovenbirds (Furnariidae). They superficially resemble the Old World treecreepers, but they are unrelated and the similarities are due to convergent evolution. The subfamily contains 60 species in 16 genera. Woodcreepers range from 14 to 35 cm in length.Marantz, C. A.; Aleixo, A.; Bevier, L. R.; Patten, M. A., (2003): Family Dendrocolaptidae (Woodcreepers). ''In:'' del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): '' Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 6: Broadbills to Tapaculos'': 358–447. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Generally brownish birds, the true woodcreepers maintain an upright vertical posture, supported by their specialized stiff tails. They feed mainly on insects taken from tree trunks. Some woodcreepers o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
