Hermit Thrush
I caught this fellow mid-song. He didn't open his beak very wide, but the the song poured out, ethereal and flutey. We rarely hear them sing here in the Piedmont of North Carolina as they don't breed here. I was lucky enough to hear the rehearsal session, and it was spectacular. Note the soft focus on the lower mandible, that was vibrating with the throat as the thrush sang. Unlike mammals that have a larynx, songbirds have a two sided voice producing organ known as a syrinx. Each side can be controlled separately, enabling the thrush to sing 2 entirely different notes at the same time. Beautiful harmony results.
Hermit Thrush
I caught this fellow mid-song. He didn't open his beak very wide, but the the song poured out, ethereal and flutey. We rarely hear them sing here in the Piedmont of North Carolina as they don't breed here. I was lucky enough to hear the rehearsal session, and it was spectacular. Note the soft focus on the lower mandible, that was vibrating with the throat as the thrush sang. Unlike mammals that have a larynx, songbirds have a two sided voice producing organ known as a syrinx. Each side can be controlled separately, enabling the thrush to sing 2 entirely different notes at the same time. Beautiful harmony results.