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Re: Mr. Raven, I Presume? Digest Number 4234

Subject: Re: Mr. Raven, I Presume? Digest Number 4234
From: "Michael Dalton" mdaltonarielle
Date: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:11 am ((PST))
Glad to answer David.
=C2=A0
I call the sound a purr and other parrot owners confirm that their birds ge=
nerate a similar utterance. The vibration is quite similar to a cat purring=
, and I indicated the bird seems to be content.
=C2=A0
Convert the purr to something like the sound=C2=A0from the vibration of a l=
ow guitar string. If you modulate the vibration=C2=A0from the string by rap=
idly interrupting the sound, you have an idea of=C2=A0how purr-speech sound=
s. I may=C2=A0try to duplicate the phenomenon with electronics, but no long=
er have my audio repair bench set up. Anyway, if you now conceptualize the =
operating system, all that remains is to apply it to the bird purr sound.
=C2=A0
Parrots, like some other birds, have a dual syrinx controlled by four sets =
of muscles. While the complex phenomenon might require two simultaneous son=
gs to produce the intermodulated signal, that is not unheard of among birds=
. If I am not mistaken the wood thrush sings a song and accompanies himself=
 with an independent tune. So my idea about a parrot generating human speec=
h amidst a complex song is not novel. (Of course, talking birds can simulat=
e conventional speech.)
=C2=A0
The amazing part is not that the bird is speaking in the irregular voice, b=
ut that people do not recognize their own language as spoken by the bird. T=
he massive disconnect in a person's brain is hard to conceive. The phenomen=
on is not isolated, because I find bird owners and people generally do not =
recognize conventional non-clich=C3=A9 speech by a parrot; when I tell an o=
wner what his/her bird is saying they are amazed. The birds are trying to c=
ommunicate with us, but hardly anyone is listening. It requires special int=
erest in sounds =E2=80=A6
=C2=A0
Mike
Michael Dalton
Author of
"Another Kind of Mind: A Talking Bird Masters English"=C2=A0
speech samples at=C2=A0=C2=A0 www.ParrotSpeech.com/Another_Mind.html
=C2=A0


Re: Mr. Raven, I Presume? Digest Number 4233
Posted by: "David Kuhn"  =C2=A0 dkuhn012001
Thu Feb=C2=A026,=C2=A02009 10:42=C2=A0am (PST)

I do find this and your work very interesting Michael--can you say
more about--

"When a native purr is broken at the rate of speech, one has a highly
unusual and complex utterance."

Thanks,
David









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