Auditory intensity discrimination in blackbirds and pigeons.

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Abstract
Redwing blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds and pigeons were trained with operant conditioning techniques to respond to small increases in the intensity of pulsed tone trains at 3 frequencies: 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kHz. All 3 spp. produced similar intensity difference limens (DL) at the frequencies tested. Intensity DLs decreased as sensation level (intensity level above absolute threshold) increased at all 3 frequencies, with the slopes of these sensation level functions being greatest at 2.0 kHz. The median intensity DL at 50 dB sensation level were 3.3, 2.7 and 2.9 dB at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kHz, respectively, averaged over the 3 spp. Some subjects were also required to detect decreases in intensity. They produced intensity DL 2-3 times larger than the DL obtained when these same subjects were required to detect increases in intensity. Avian intensity DL generally may be 1-2 dB higher than the DL of those mammals that have been tested (rat, cat, monkey, humans).

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