Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings
Published on: April 1, 2022
Properties of low-frequency head-related transfer functions in the barn owl (Tyto alba)
Laura Hausmann1, Mark von Campenhausen, Hermann Wagner
1Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Strasse 15, 52056, Aachen, Germany. laura@bio2.rwth-aachen.de
Abstract:
The barn owl (Tyto alba) possesses several specializations regarding auditory processing. The most conspicuous features are the directionally sensitive facial ruff and the asymmetrically arranged ears. The frequency-specific influence of these features on sound has consequences for sound localization that might differ between low and high frequencies. Whereas the high-frequency range (>3 kHz) is well investigated, less is known about the characteristics of head-related transfer functions for frequencies below 3 kHz. In the present study, we compared 1/3 octaveband-filtered transfer functions of barn owls with center frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 9 kHz. The range of interaural time differences was 600 micros at frequencies above 4 kHz, decreased to 505 micros at 3 kHz and increased again to about 615 micros at lower frequencies. The ranges for very low (0.5-1 kHz) and high frequencies (5-9 kHz) were not statistically different. Interaural level differences and monaural gains increased monotonically with increasing frequency. No systematic influence of the body temperature on the measured localization cues was observed. These data have implications for the mechanism underlying sound localization and we suggest that the barn owl's ears work as pressure receivers both in the high- and low-frequency ranges.
Related Concept Videos
The Cochlea
Network Function of a Circuit
Properties of Fourier Transform I
In radio broadcasting, multiple audio signals often need to be transmitted simultaneously. The Fourier...
Hearing
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...
Frequency Response of a Circuit
The transfer function is pivotal in characterizing how these circuits react to various frequencies, facilitating a profound understanding of their behavior. An essential parameter is the time constant, signifying the...

