BIRDING Magazine (American Birding Association)

Letter to the Editor, Birding magazine, December 2004, pages 569-572)

(NOTE: This letter is about the SongFinder, although the name of the device was somehow left out, an oversight by the Editor. We have modified the letter by adding the name "SongFinder" where appropriate.)

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Hard of Hearing?

I am writing to follow up on a letter concerning hearing and hearing aids in the April 2004 issue ("Hear Ye! Hear Ye!", by Elinor Miller, pp. 120-122). Ms. Miller is fortunate that her hearing aids have allowed her to hear some species again. I believe that she might be an exception rather than the rule in this regard. For most seniors, the loss of the higher frequencies is related and caused by the deterioration of he inner ear and associated nervous system. Hearing aids, even if of the modern digital variety with frequency-band amplificatin, cannot be effective if your hearing system is unable to resolve some frequencies at all. From personal experience, I strongly recommend consulting an ear-nose-and-throat physician before purchasing aids. The physician can make an examination, and with an audiogram determine if hearing aids will be beneficial.

For those of us whom conventional aids are ineffective at the higher and avian-produced frequencies, there is now a technical solution: the "SongFinder, a Digital Bird Song Hearing Device". This new digital processing-unit shifts the higher (undetectable) frequencies downward into the normal speech range. This technology allows hearing of the avian-produced frequencies that many seniors can no longer resolve. The user must in some cases relearn bird song owing to the combination of the shifted and non-shifted frequencies (e.g., Northern Cardinal). Those species whose song is entirely in the higher ranges (e.g., Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula) come through in an entirely recognizable form. With a little practice, the SongFinder becomes indispensable, allowing you to hear and locate songs you have probably almost forgotten. The unit is binaural (i.e. you listen with both ears), allowing you to locate the sound source. Note, however, that the unit will down-shift all high frequencies—insects are a particulary rich source of high-frequency sound.

I hope this will benefit some of your readers. The SongFinder sure has been a boon for me.

Paul R. Julian
Victoria, Texas