Sanlan, James Patrick;
(1988)
Analysis of Avian "Speech": Patterns and Production.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Acoustic analysis of avian "speech" is used as a means of approaching various questions concerning vocal communication in birds. In conjunction with anatomical studies, such analysis reveals a sound production mechanism in the psittacine syrinx analogous in some respects to the mammalian larynx. It also reveals, however, that this is not the only syringeal mechanism at the parrot's disposal: vocal redundancy is an important aspect of avian sound production. Comparison of avian "speech" with species-specific vocalizations shows that some "speech" sounds are adapted (sometimes only slightly) from species-specific sounds. Acoustic features common to bird sounds and human speech are an important factor in this inter-species copying behaviour. Much avian "speech" concentrates on the second-formant region of the spectrum. This region seems to coincide roughly with the range of resonant frequencies of the syringeal membranes. Lower-frequency information in the "speech" signal is often produced by modulating a second- formant carrier. These findings are correlated with published data on avian sound perception. In the first chapter, a discussion (and re-definition) of vocal "imitation" and "mimicry" establishes a conceptual framework for the study of avian "speech".
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Analysis of Avian "Speech": Patterns and Production |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the author’s terms and conditions. |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10206267 |
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