Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds
Published on: November 26, 2012
Bilateral source acoustic interaction in a syrinx model of an oscine bird
Rodrigo Laje1, Denisse Sciamarella, Juan Zanella
1Departamento de Física, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón I, Ciudad Universitaria-C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. rodrigo@df.uba.ar
Abstract:
The bilateral simultaneous generation of sound in some oscine songbirds leads to complex sounds that cannot be described in terms of a superposition of the isolated sources alone. In this work, we study the appearance of complex solutions in a model for the acoustic interaction between the two sound sources in birdsong. The origin of these complex oscillations can be traced to the nonlinear mode-mode interaction arising when both sources are active. As an example, we analyze a remarkable sound produced by an oscine songbird and show that the proposed dynamical scenario is compatible with the observed behavior.
Related Concept Videos
The Cochlea
Anatomy of the Ear
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Convergent Evolution
Sinusoidal Sources
In homes, the power supplies use sinusoidal sources to provide electricity. These sources generate a voltage that varies sinusoidally...
Hair Cells

