The illustration is for the research “The Science of Birdsong” by Monica Kortsha at The Jackson School of Geosciences.
Humans have been long fascinated by birdsong and the symphony of other avian sounds — from coos and honks to quacks and peeps. But little is known about how the unique vocal organ of birds — the syrinx — varies from species to species or its deeper evolutionary origins. Research is revealing new details about the origin and structure of the syrinx.
This work was named Chosen Winner of The American Illustration 44 in April 2025.