Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds
Published on: November 26, 2012
Acoustic mechanisms of note-type perception in black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) calls
Isabelle Charrier1, Tiffany T-Y Lee, Laurie L Bloomfield
1Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. isabelle.charrier@ibaic.u-psud.fr
Abstract:
Acoustic communication in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) has been studied intensively, the "chick-a-dee" call being among the most well described. This call consists of 4 note types; chickadees perceive these notes as open-ended categories and do so in a continuous manner, with As more similar to Bs and Bs more similar to Cs. Acoustic features contributing to the note-type differentiation are unknown. Recent analyses suggested that certain acoustic features may play a role in note-type classification. Here, the authors tested black-capped chickadees in an operant-conditioning paradigm to determine which features were controlling note-type perception. The results suggest that the note pitch and the frequency modulation in the initial portion of the note control the perception of note types.
More Related Videos
09:32Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings
Published on: April 1, 2022
10:55Enhancing an Avian Sound Recognition Model's Detection Precision via Logistic Regression of Large Acoustic Datasets: A Case Study of the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Published on: April 11, 2026
Related Concept Videos
The Cochlea
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Auditory Perception
Hair Cells
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...