Howdy Max!
Yes, the age-related hearing loss is well known. What is less known is that=
younger people cannot decode English speech by a talking bird if the sound=
s are missing many harmonics. There are many other factors that affect spee=
ch perception. One unexpected one is that people do NOT anticipate a bird t=
o know many words that are unusual. Consequently people comprehend clich=E9=
s such as "Pretty bird" and "Polly wants a cracker" because they are expect=
ed. If a bird were to say, "There's an orange on the table," listeners woul=
d not understand a single word of the statement. It doesn't compute .... (A=
s an illustrative experiment, try to decode an Italian speaking bird or Ari=
elle's speech on her site.)
So when it comes to interspecies communication, I'm afraid that its back to=
simple musical notes as in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" for us hum=
ans. We're going to have much difficulty with aliens from space, when we ca=
nnot understand our own language spoken by another terrestrial creature.
Mike
Florida
www.ParrotSpeech.com
Re: The lowest frequency sound know from any bird.......
Wed May=A015,=A02013 4:54=A0am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Max Catterwell" oatcruncher
Hi Mike,
To quote; 'without a great number of high harmonics, most people are at
a complete loss to decode the fundamental sounds, which represent
words.' This of course is why old codgers like me have more and more
difficulty understanding speech, because as we get older, the most
common frequency loss is the upper range. Hearing aids are just that,
aids, they'll never actually replace what's lost.
Regarding learning to listen being a learned talent, I couldn't agree
more. It's something I've only taken up in the last year or so, and even
though I have fairly poor hearing now, I have been surprised at how much
more, through learning/concentrat ion, that I now hear - it clearly is
never too late!
Cheers
Max
On 15/05/2013 12:20, Michael Dalton wrote:
> I find the discussion of low-frequency sounds by birds interesting. In th=
e literature there is information about the syrinx and the ability of some =
birds to generate sounds below what one might expect.
> Working with my macaw, I notice that her speech contains elements down to=
about 38 Hz. I am not sure whether some of the frequencies are digital art=
ifacts; however, the sounds have a low-frequency characteristic.
>
> There is a problem with such sounds, because without a great number of hi=
gh harmonics, most people are at a complete loss to decode the fundamental =
sounds, which represent words. No matter what analysis is applied, I am fin=
ding that most people, including some nature recordists, are not very good =
at perceiving their own language spoken with an unusual timbre.
>
> Very surprising to me initially, I've now accepted that listening is a le=
arned talent that few people attempt. For now that puts me out in left fiel=
d without a paddle.
>
> Mike
> Florida
> http://www.parrotsp eech.com/
>
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