Page 25 - The Miracle Of Talking Birds

their own distinct resonances. Where these resonances occur,
the overtones of the frequencies (or number of vibrations)

from the vocal cords are amplified. Formants (from the Latin
formare: to shape, or form) are resonant frequencies of the vo-
cal tract, the natural shapes that air assumes in the vocal pas-
sage. When you make a consonant, for example, this has an ef-

fect on the formants of the neighbouring vowels, raising or
lowering formants as the vowel sound gets closer to the cor-
sonant. Experiments have shown that two formants are suffi-

cient in order to differentiate speech sounds from each other. 5

Budgerigar

African Grey Parrot

Mynah bird, a
member of the
crow family