Summary
The pigeon (Columba livia) has a well-developed ability to detect weak vibrations. Using the method of heart-rate conditioning the vibrational sensitivity was determined for four pigeons at an error probability of P<0.025. The threshold-frequency relationships indicate that the greatest sensitivity to vibrational stimuli is found in the frequency range from 300 to 1,000 Hz with thresholds of about 0.1 μm; lowest threshold is 0.04 μm at 500 Hz (Fig. 4). Pigeons can respond not only to the frequency of a stimulus, but also to its intensity. The interval decrement (in %) of ECG is a positive correlative function of the stimulus intensity, the calculated values being approximately 4–5% per order of magnitude of the stimulus amplitude (in μm) at best frequencies (Fig. 5). The value of vibration detection for birds is discussed.
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Abbreviations
- ECG :
-
electrocardiogram
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Shen, J.X. A behavioral study of vibrational sensitivity in the pigeon (Columba livia). J. Comp. Physiol. 152, 251–255 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611189
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611189