Abstract
Canaries have been domesticated for well over 100 years. They have been bred for specific characteristics such as song, plumage, or body shape. Here we measured audiograms in several canary strains using both behavioral (operant conditioning) and physiological (auditory brainstem responses) methods. Overall, there was a good correspondence between behavioral and ABR audiograms, but there were differences in audiogram shape and sensitivity between strains. Belgian Waterslager canaries bred for low-pitched song had elevated high frequency thresholds, while Spanish Timbrado canaries bred for high-pitched song had slightly better high frequency thresholds than canaries that were not bred for song. Other strains showed intermediate sensitivity. These results suggest there can be more variability in hearing within a species than previously thought and that these differences are correlated with other behavioral or morphological traits. [Work supported by DC00198, DC001372, DC04664-01A2, and DC005450.]
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