Target-approaching behavior of barn owls (Tyto alba): influence of sound frequency |
| |
Authors: | Martin Singheiser Dennis T T Plachta Sandra Brill Peter Bremen Robert F van der Willigen Hermann Wagner |
| |
Institution: | 1. Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe Str. 15, 52056, Aachen, Germany 2. IMTEK, Institut für Mikrosystemtechnik, Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Mikrotechnik, Georges-K?hler-Allee 102, 79110, Freiburg, Germany 3. Department of Biophysics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radbound University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein 21, 6525 EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
|
| |
Abstract: | We studied the influence of frequency on sound localization in free-flying barn owls by quantifying aspects of their target-approaching
behavior to a distant sound source during ongoing auditory stimulation. In the baseline condition with a stimulus covering
most of the owls hearing range (1–10 kHz), all owls landed within a radius of 20 cm from the loudspeaker in more than 80%
of the cases and localization along the azimuth was more accurate than localization in elevation. When the stimulus contained
only high frequencies (>5 kHz) no changes in striking behavior were observed. But when only frequencies from 1 to 5 kHz were
presented, localization accuracy and precision decreased. In a second step we tested whether a further border exists at 2.5 kHz
as suggested by optimality models. When we compared striking behavior for a stimulus having energy from 2.5 to 5 kHz with
a stimulus having energy between 1 and 2.5 kHz, no consistent differences in striking behavior were observed. It was further
found that pre-takeoff latency was longer for the latter stimulus than for baseline and that center frequency was a better
predictor for landing precision than stimulus bandwidth. These data fit well with what is known from head-turning studies
and from neurophysiology. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|