Concurrent Absolute and Relative Pitch Processing by European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris}

In responding to sounds, birds use both relative and absolute pitch perception. As a means of testing which type of pitch perception is dominant, European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were trained to discriminate between low-ascending and high-descending sequences of tones. They were then tested with high-ascending and low-descending sequences during probe and transfer sessions. The birds could transfer their discrimination on the basis of either high versus low (absolute pitch) or ascending versus descending (relative pitch). During probe sessions, birds responded to nonreinforced novel sequences on the basis of absolute pitch. However, during transfer sessions, the birds could quickly learn to respond to reinforced novel sequences on the basis of relative pitch. The results indicate that during initial training, the birds learned about both relative and absolute aspects of the stimuli.