Williams H, Cynx J, Nottebohm F
Rockefeller University Field Research Center for Ecology and Ethology 17991.
J Comp Psychol. 1989 Dec;103(4):366-80. doi: 10.1037/0735-7036.103.4.366.
Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) song syllables often include harmonically related frequency components. These harmonics may be suppressed, and this differential emphasis varies between the syllables in a song and between individual birds' songs. These patterns of harmonic suppression are timbre. Individual syllables' patterns of harmonic suppression are constant with adult males' songs. Young males that imitate the songs of older males also imitate their patterns of harmonic suppression. Syringeal denervation distorts these patterns, which suggests that they are produced through active control of the vocal organ. The selective suppression and emphasis of some harmonics creates a great number of possible timbre variants for any one syllable. These add signal diversity to the limited array of frequency modulations and range of fundamental frequencies found in zebra finch song. Analyses of bird song that disregard timbre may overlook a feature that is important in vocal communication.
斑胸草雀（Taeniopygia guttata）的歌声音节通常包含谐波相关的频率成分。这些谐波可能会被抑制，并且这种差异强调在一首歌的不同音节之间以及不同个体鸟类的歌声之间有所不同。这些谐波抑制模式就是音色。成年雄性歌声中各个音节的谐波抑制模式是恒定的。模仿年长雄性歌声的年轻雄性也会模仿它们的谐波抑制模式。鸣管去神经支配会扭曲这些模式，这表明它们是通过对发声器官的主动控制产生的。对某些谐波的选择性抑制和强调为任何一个音节创造了大量可能的音色变体。这些为斑胸草雀歌声中有限的频率调制阵列和基频范围增加了信号多样性。忽视音色的鸟鸣分析可能会忽略在声音交流中很重要的一个特征。
