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Observations On Sound Production In The Anatidae, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

It has been known for a long time that, among non-passerine birds, the Anatidae are remarkable for the diversity of specializations in the trachea and syrinx, associated with sound production. It has also been recognised that these variations have taxonomic significance (Heinroth 1911; Johnsgard 1961), but virtually no attempts have been made to correlate the complex tracheal structures with the sounds produced. Yet the group offers many fascinating problems such as the adaptive significance of the looping of the trachea, either outside the body cavity as in the Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata, or inside the sternum as in the …