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Information about Syrinx (biology)

Syrinx (Greek for pan pipes) is the name for the vocal organ of birds. Located at the base of a bird's trachea, it produces sounds without the vocal cords that mammals are equipped with. 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 which modulates the airflow creating the sound. The muscles modulate the sound shape by changing the tension of the membranes and the bronchial openings.[1] The syrinx enables some species of birds (such as parrots, parakeets, and mynas) to mimic human speech. Unlike the larynx of mammals, the syrinx is located where the trachea forks into the lungs, and because of this in some songbirds it can produce more than one sound at a time.

See also

Notes

1. ^ Direct observation of syringeal muscle function in songbirds and a parrot Ole Næsbye Larsen and Franz Goller, The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 25-35 (2002)
Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
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pan flute (also known as panpipes) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length (and, at times, girth).
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trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 20-25 mm and a length of about 10-16cm. It extends from the larynx to the primary (main) bronchi in mammals, and from the pharynx to the syrinx in birds, allowing the passage of air to the lungs.
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The vocal folds, also known popularly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation.
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''For other uses, see oscillator (disambiguation)
Oscillation is the variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states.
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Psittaciformes
Wagler, 1830

Systematics

(but see below)

Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos)
  • Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo)
  • Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos)
  • Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos)

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mynas (also spelled mynahs) are birds of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia.
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The larynx (plural larynges), colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production.
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SongBird is a Dutch record label owned by Tijs Verwest and Arny Bink. It is a sublabel of Black Hole Recordings, established in 1997, and is most well known as the label on which Tiësto's popular trance series In Search of Sunrise was released.
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Bird songs are certain vocal sounds that birds make. In non-technical use, these are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology, bird 'songs' are often distinguished from shorter sounds, which may be termed 'calls'.
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Human whistling is the production of sound by means of a constant stream of air from the mouth. The air is moderated by the tongue, lips, teeth, or fingers to create turbulence, and the mouth acts as a resonant chamber to enhance the resulting sound, thus acting as a type
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