TY - JOUR
T1 - Audiogram of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) from 16 Hz to 9 kHz
AU - Hill, Evan M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding Funding was provided by the University of Nebraska-Kearney Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Development.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.
PY - 2017/11/1
Y1 - 2017/11/1
N2 - The pure-tone thresholds of three mallard ducks were determined from 16 Hz to 9 kHz. The purpose was to determine whether the mallard duck hears infrasound, which then may potentially be used for navigation, similar to how it is proposed that pigeons use it for homing. At a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (re 20 μN/m2), their hearing range extends 6.85 octaves from 66 Hz to 7.6 kHz, with a best sensitivity of 12.5 dB at 2 kHz. However, at no frequency, including the lowest tested, were the ducks’ thresholds lower than those of humans. Therefore, unlike pigeons and chickens, but like budgerigars, mallard ducks do not hear infrasound. Thus, the fact that a bird may fly long distances does not necessarily indicate that it hears infrasound.
AB - The pure-tone thresholds of three mallard ducks were determined from 16 Hz to 9 kHz. The purpose was to determine whether the mallard duck hears infrasound, which then may potentially be used for navigation, similar to how it is proposed that pigeons use it for homing. At a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (re 20 μN/m2), their hearing range extends 6.85 octaves from 66 Hz to 7.6 kHz, with a best sensitivity of 12.5 dB at 2 kHz. However, at no frequency, including the lowest tested, were the ducks’ thresholds lower than those of humans. Therefore, unlike pigeons and chickens, but like budgerigars, mallard ducks do not hear infrasound. Thus, the fact that a bird may fly long distances does not necessarily indicate that it hears infrasound.
KW - Audiogram
KW - Avian hearing
KW - Infrasound
KW - Low-frequency sensitivity
KW - Mallard duck
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U2 - 10.1007/s00359-017-1204-6
DO - 10.1007/s00359-017-1204-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 28808778
AN - SCOPUS:85028551202
SN - 0340-7594
VL - 203
SP - 929
EP - 934
JO - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
JF - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
IS - 11
ER -