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How do frogs, lions, and birds produce sounds with airflow?

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Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (Canis lupus dingo) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming. — Animal communication Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (*Canis lupus dingo*) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming.

Animals produce vocal sounds by manipulating airflow through specialized anatomical structures within their respiratory systems.1

Frogs

Frogs produce sound by cycling air back and forth between their lungs and their buccal (mouth) cavity, passing it over vocal cords in the larynx. Unlike many other vertebrates, they do not expel air to vocalize. The resulting vibrations are amplified by vocal sacs, which serve as resonating chambers.32

Lions

As mammals, lions produce vocalizations using the larynx, located at the upper end of the trachea. Sound is generated when air expelled from the lungs moves up the trachea and passes through the vocal cords, causing them to vibrate. The mouth and other upper cavities then act as resonators to shape the sound.12

Birds

Birds utilize a unique organ called the syrinx, located at the base of the trachea where it divides into the bronchi. Sound is initiated and modulated by membranes within the syrinx that vibrate as air passes through them. Many birds, particularly songbirds, can control the two sides of the syrinx independently to produce complex sounds.14