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Development of auditory sensitivity in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Elizabeth F Brittan-Powell1, Robert J Dooling
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. bbrittanpowell@psyc.umd.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|July 9, 2004
Summary
Newly hatched budgerigars have poor hearing, but their auditory sensitivity rapidly develops within weeks. Hearing is fully mature by the time vocal learning begins in young budgerigars.
Area of Science:
- Avian biology
- Neuroscience
- Auditory development
Background:
- Auditory feedback is crucial for vocal development in songbirds and parrots.
- Limited information exists on the developmental trajectory of hearing in these species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of auditory sensitivity in budgerigars from hatching to six weeks of age.
- To correlate hearing development with the onset of vocal learning.
Main Methods:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was utilized to assess hearing thresholds.
- Testing was conducted on budgerigars from hatch to six weeks old.
- ABR audiograms were analyzed for changes in auditory sensitivity across different frequencies.
Main Results:
- Budgerigars exhibit limited auditory sensitivity at hatch, requiring high stimulation levels below 2 kHz.
- Auditory thresholds significantly improve within the first two weeks posthatch.
- By three weeks, best hearing sensitivity shifts to 2.86 kHz, resembling adult patterns.
- Auditory brainstem response audiograms in young budgerigars closely match adult profiles before fledging.
Conclusions:
- Hearing development in budgerigars is rapid, occurring within the first few weeks of life.
- Auditory sensitivity is fully developed by the time young budgerigars commence vocal learning.
- These findings provide crucial insights into the interplay between auditory development and vocal learning in birds.