LOCALIZATION OF AZIMUTHAL SOUND DIRECTION BY THE GREAT HORNED OWL

Localization of azimuthal sound direction was studied in the great homed owl. Head orienting responses (ORs) initiated following brief stimuli and ORs completed during long duration stimuli had similar mean localization errors. The accuracy of the OR apparently was not influenced by response-produced auditory feedback. For sources of sound located in the anterior sound hemifield, errors were relatively small (mean = 7.0-degrees) and the magnitude of ORs was correlated significantly with azimuth. Localization of sources in the posterior sound hemifield was poor (mean error = 4 1.1-degrees). However, ORs occasionally were followed by secondary, corrective responses during trials with long duration stimuli. Corrective responses significantly reduced errors for sources located in the posterior sound hemifield.