Forward and simultaneous masking were used to measure psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs) in four parakeets at three probe frequencies. The sharpness of tuning varied drastically with procedure; the forward masking curves hadQ10‐dB values that were more than double those obtained from the simultaneous masking procedure. Generally, the PTCs from both methods remained fairly symmetrical on the high‐ and low‐frequency side of the probe signal. The results are discussed with respect to two‐tone suppression and pitch discrimination cues.