Do birds actually hear ultrasonic sounds or is that just a myth? I’ve heard varying things about this and would love to get some factual insights!
From what I understand, most birds can’t hear ultrasonic sounds because their hearing isn’t as developed in that range. It’s more of a bat thing.
That’s only partially correct. Some birds, like oilbirds and some species of swiftlets, do use echolocation, which means they can hear certain ultrasonic frequencies.
Actually, it’s been shown that those birds use echolocation that’s NOT ultrasonic. Their clicks are audible to humans, so they’re not in the ultrasonic range.
That’s a great distinction to make. Us humans often get a bit ahead of ourselves claiming other animals have super abilities!