Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) do not hear infrasound: the audiogram from 8 Hz to 10 kHz

摘要

The pure-tone thresholds of three budgerigars were determined from 8 Hz to 10 kHz. At a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (re 20 mu N/m(2)), their hearing range extends 6.6 octaves from 77 Hz to 7.6 kHz, with a best sensitivity of 1.1 dB at 3 kHz. Unlike pigeons and chickens, budgerigars do not have better low-frequency hearing than humans. This difference implies anatomical, physiological, and ecological differences between birds that hear infrasound (so far, pigeons and chickens) and those that do not (budgerigars).