ABSTRACT
Birds have a more compact and effi cient style of communication than humans.14 This is due in part to their unique syrinx organ, through which two sounds can be produced at the same time.18, 74, 137 Birds also have more complex hearing than humans; they can hear a range of frequencies that is both higher and lower than humans can hear.14, 18, 74, 154 Birds hear sounds from a greater distance than humans. Birds have more intricate abilities for the time resolution of sound.14 To illustrate, birds have the ability to isolate or distinguish individual sounds arriving in rapid succession ten times faster than humans.14 What we hear as a single sound, a bird may hear as ten discrete tonal variations.14 Feathers cover the ear canal to protect a bird’s ears and hearing from turbulence on windy days and during fl ight.74 This is similar to putting a shield over a microphone to prevent it from picking up wind or a person breathing.
