Are site-specific airborne stimuli relevant for pigeon navigation only when matched by other release-site information?

Abstract

2 dB were differentiated at sound intensities o f 70 and 80 dB (SPL) (Weber fractions between 0.11 and 0.32) without the influence of test tone frequency. A deterioration can be noticed in the marginal area of the auditory capacity (6 kHz). A linear dependence between capacity of intensity discrimination and sound intensity of the test tone could be shown: the greater the sound intensity, the smaller the recognized differences. In Fig. 2 the results of this study are compared with those of other birds. Note that every measured point in this study is a statistically distinguished performance and not interpolated. The good accordance of the two nonpasserines pigeon and parakeet (o, o) is obvious, although different methods had been used. The songbirds' ability to distinguish acoustic intensities seem to be better, but more data gained by the same method are needed to make a final comparison. So far the avian ability of intensity discrimination seems to be only minimally less than the human.