Sound production in birds seems to be similar to that of human vocal cords, with birds using the same mechanisms as we humans, according to EurekAlert.
Humans use the larynx to make sounds with their voice, but birds use something called the syrinx, which has been difficult to study due to its position in the bird body.
The new research, however, was able to take high-speed imaging of the process, as well as detailed observations of muscle stimulation. Researchers were even able to get "kinematic and acoustic analyses" of the birds they studied and the process they used to produce sounds.
"We now managed to film sound production in birds from zebra finches to ostriches in detail using high-speed cameras. We show for the first time that birds also produce sound according to the MEAD theory," said lead author Coen Elemans, associate professor with the University of Southern Denmark. "Science has known for over 60 years that this mechanism - called the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory, or in short the MEAD mechanism- drives speech and singing in humans."
"We have now shown that birds use the exact same mechanism to make vocalizations," he added.
The year-long study observed six species of birds spread across five avian groups, according to Science Daily. The study was conducted by the University of Southern Denmark and published by Nature Communications.
