Let's stop measuring animal sound frequencies in hertz

Abstract Research on the function and evolution of animal sounds typically analyses sound frequency on a linear scale (Hz), despite the perception and modulation of sound frequency by animals being better described with an equal‐ratios scale (logHz). Using a linear frequency scale causes bias in analyses, and distorts the visual representation of sound frequency data. It overestimates frequency changes in higher‐ versus lower‐frequency sounds, and it may interfere with methods relying on image analyses of spectrograms (e.g. algorithms for recognition of animal sounds). These problems are largely solved by measuring animal sound frequencies in logHz. Here I discuss the reasons, and some misunderstandings, that make researchers in ecology and evolution to continue using Hz and conclude that measuring animal sound frequencies in logHz is preferable.