The wild turkey is a large bird native to North America that has significant cultural and historical symbolism, especially in the United States. Here are 24 fascinating facts about wild turkeys that may surprise you!
Introduction
As one of the largest birds found across the United States, wild turkeys have a distinctive appearance and interesting behaviors that many people may not know about. They were an important source of sustenance for Native Americans and early European settlers, and they continue to captivate hunters and outdoor enthusiasts today.
Wild turkeys nearly went extinct in the early 20th century, but successful conservation efforts brought their numbers back, and now there are an estimated 7 million of them thriving across North America. Their quick foot speed, keen eyesight, and elusive nature make hunting them a cherished challenge.
Below we’ll explore 24 enlightening tidbits covering wild turkey physiology, habitat, diet, mating behaviors, conservation status and more. Some fun facts about their feathers, puffed-up displays, roosting habits and distinctive gobbles will give you new appreciation for this charismatic game bird.
1. Wild Turkeys Have Impressive Vision
Wild turkeys have excellent all-around vision. Their eyes are located on the sides of their head, giving them a field of vision of about 270 degrees. They can also see in full color with three types of cone cells in their eyes, compared to humans who only have three. This excellent eyesight helps wild turkeys detect even the slightest movements all around them.
2. Males and Females Have Different Colors
Male wild turkeys, called toms, are much more colorful and ornate than females, called hens. Toms have shiny, iridescent feathers in bronze, copper, green, and gold. They also have a bare head that can change from red to blue to white depending on their mood. Hens have duller mottled brown, black, and gray feathers to better camouflage while nesting.
3. Their Snood Becomes Engorged During Courtship
Both male and female turkeys have fleshy protrusions called snoods hanging down over their beaks. A tom turkey’s snood engorges and elongates during courtship displays to attract hens. The longer a male’s snood, the more attractive he is to females.
4. They Gobble to Attract Mates
Male wild turkeys make a distinct gobbling sound to woo females and warn competing males away. They begin gobbling before sunrise and continue through mid-morning during mating season. The gobble call carries for over a mile!
5. Their Roosts Are High Up
Wild turkeys prefer to roost for the night in the safety of trees, usually 20-60 feet off the ground. Their preferred roost sites include mature trees with large branches, dead trees, and secluded tree stands. Turkeys can fly up to 55 mph over short distances.
6. They Forage on the Ground
Turkeys spend most of their day foraging on the forest floor for food. They use their strong feet to scratch leaf litter aside to uncover seeds, nuts, berries, roots, grasses, insects, and small reptiles to eat.
7. They Form Large Winter Flocks
As colder weather sets in, wild turkeys form large winter flocks of between dozens to hundreds of birds for better survival. This helps them stay warmer and find food more efficiently until spring mating season.
8. Wild Turkey Vocalizations Are Complex
Wild turkeys make yelps, clucks, putts, purrs, cackles, whines, cutts, and other calls beyond their famous gobble. Hens use yelps and clucks to gather poults (young turkeys) together. Toms gobble, spit, drum, and use other sounds to defend territory and attract mates.
9. Their Feathers Are Multifunctional
Turkey feathers serve many purposes beyond flight and keeping warm. Stiff wing feathers produce the humming, drumming, and whistling sounds male turkeys make. Loose feathers around the chest and back increase display sizes.
10. They Puff Up Their Plumage to Attract Mates
When trying to attract females and intimidate competitors, male wild turkeys will puff up their body feathers, spread their tail into a vertical fan, and drag their wings on the ground. This impressive display shows off their colors and size.
11. Their Wattles Change Color
The fleshy growths under a turkey’s beak and throat are called wattles. Like their snood, a tom turkey’s wattles fill with blood and become engorged, red, and enlarged during courtship displays to entice hens.
12. They Mate in the Spring
The mating season for wild turkeys begins in late March and runs through May. As spring arrives, toms gobble loudly seeking hens, fighting off rival males, and establishing dominance.
13. Hens Build Ground Nests
Female wild turkeys build nests on the ground concealed by forest vegetation. Nests contain 6-20 eggs that need 28 days of incubation. Hens take care of all parenting duties.
14. Poults Follow Their Mother
Baby turkeys, called poults, are precocial meaning they can walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching while following their hen. Poults learn what foods to eat and how to survive by sticking close to mom.
15. They Were Once Almost Hunted to Extinction
Unregulated hunting and habitat loss decimated wild turkey populations in the early 1900s down to only 30,000 nationwide. Conservation efforts since the 1930s brought numbers back up to over 7 million today.
16. Only Toms Gobble
Male wild turkeys are the only ones who can gobble and make this iconic sound synonymous with their species. Hens may cluck or yelp. Gobbling allows toms to announce their presence to potential mates and competitors.
17. Their Head Can Change Colors
The bare skin on a male turkey’s head and neck is called a snood. This skin can rapidly change color based on the turkey’s mood from pink and red to blue and white to reflect aggression, courtship, feeding, alarm, and other contexts.
18. They Have 5 Distinct Subspecies
There are five recognized wild turkey subspecies in North America – Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, and Gould’s turkeys each with slightly different plumage and size.
19. Wild Turkey Speeds Reach 25 mph
Despite their hefty size, wild turkeys can run up to 25 miles per hour on the ground and fly 55 miles per hour over short distances when evading predators. Their strong legs carry them quickly through forests.
20. They Roost in Trees Year-Round
Wild turkeys will roost in trees at night throughout the year, not just in wintertime. This keeps them safe from predators and poor weather as they tuck in their feet and utilize their camouflage plumage to avoid detection.
21. Ben Franklin Wanted the Turkey as America’s Bird
Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter in 1784 stating his preference that the wild turkey, not the bald eagle, represent the official bird of the United States. He called the bald eagle of “bad moral character.”
22. Their Loose Skin Helps Them Cool Off
Male wild turkeys have colorful, wrinkled, and blistered skin covering their head and neck. This loose skin hangs down over their beak and throat helping them release heat to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
23. They Have 5,000-6,000 Feathers
An adult wild turkey has between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers covering their bodies. They have especially small, dense feathers to seal in body heat and repel water. Their outer wing and tail feathers are larger for display and flight.
24. They Were Once Domesticated by Native Americans
Native Americans managed and even semi-domesticated wild turkey populations centuries ago. They transported turkeys between regions, raised them in pens, and used them as a major food source well before Europeans arrived.
Conclusion
Wild turkeys are impressive birds uniquely adapted for survival in the forests and brushlands of North America. Their speed, wariness, keen vision, and camouflage make hunting them a worthy challenge. Conservation efforts brought wild turkey numbers back from alarmingly low levels, securing future generations of this iconic game bird. Their gobbling, strutting courtship displays, and feather variations reflect the beauty and mastery of avian wildlife. The next time you see a wild turkey, consider how essential natural habitats, regulated hunting, and stewardship were to preserve this species many find so fascinating.
24 Surprising Wild Turkey Facts {.meta-description}
Wild turkeys are a fascinating North American game bird. Here are 24 incredible facts about wild turkey behavior, biology, conservation, and their significance in history and culture.
Introduction {.featured-snippet}
As one of the largest birds found across the United States, wild turkeys have a distinctive appearance and interesting behaviors that many people may not know about. They were an important source of sustenance for Native Americans and early European settlers, and they continue to captivate hunters and outdoor enthusiasts today. Read on for 24 enlightening facts about wild turkey vision, mating, feathers, conservation status, and more!
1. Their Vision is Amazing
Wild turkeys have excellent all-around vision, with eyes located on the sides of their head giving them a 270-degree field of view. Their full color vision also helps them detect the slightest movements.
2. Males and Females Look Different
Male wild turkeys (toms) have colorful, iridescent feathers while females (hens) have drab brown, black, and gray plumage as camouflage while nesting.
3. Their Snood Becomes Engorged During Courtship
A turkey’s snood, the fleshy protrusion over its beak, engorges and elongates when male turkeys are attracting females. A longer snood signals attractiveness.
4. Turkeys Gobble Loudly to Attract Mates
Male turkey’s distinct gobbling call can be heard over a mile away! Gobbling starts before sunrise during mating season to attract females and warn off competitors.
5. They Roost High Up in Trees
Wild turkeys prefer to safely roost 20-60 feet high up in mature trees at night. Their preferred roost sites include large-branched trees, dead trees, and secluded tree stands.
6. Turkeys Spend Their Days Foraging
Turkeys forage on the forest floor during the day, using their strong feet to uncover seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and small reptiles to eat.
7. They Form Large Winter Flocks
For warmth and more efficient food finding, wild turkeys form flocks of dozens to hundreds of birds throughout winter until the spring mating season.
8. Turkey Vocalizations are Complex
Beyond gobbling, turkeys also yelp, cluck, purr, cackle, whine, and more! These sounds gather poults, defend territories, and attract mates.
9. Their Feathers Serve Many Purposes
Turkey feathers provide flight, warmth, and display purposes. They also produce the sounds male turkeys make by drumming their stiff wing feathers.
10. Males Puff Up to Look Big for Mates
Male turkeys puff up their body feathers, spread their tail, and drag their wings to look as large and impressive as possible to attract females.
11. Wattles Change Color During Courtship
The fleshy wattles under a male turkey’s beak fill with blood and become enlarged and red when trying to entice hens to mate.
12. Mating Season is in the Spring
The wild turkey mating season runs from late March through May. As spring arrives, male turkeys perform courtship displays for hens.
13. Hens Build Ground Nests
Female turkeys build nests on the ground hidden in vegetation that contain 6-20 eggs requiring 28 days of incubation before hatching.
14. Poults Follow their Mother
Baby turkeys can walk right after hatching and follow their hen closely to learn what to eat and how to survive.
15. Overhunting Almost Led to Their Extinction
Unregulated hunting and habitat loss decimated turkeys until only 30,000 remained in the 1900s. Conservation brought the population back up to 7 million.
16. Only Toms Gobble
Male turkeys are the only ones able to make the characteristic gobbling sound, while hens may cluck or yelp. Gobbling announces their presence.
17. Their Head Changes Color
The bare skin on a male’s head and neck (snood) rapidly changes color based on mood, from red to blue to white signaling aggression, courtship, alarm etc.
18. 5 Distinct Wild Turkey Subspecies Exist
There are 5 recognized wild turkey subspecies in North America – Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, and Gould’s turkeys. Each has slightly different plumage and size.
19. They Run up to 25 mph!
Despite their large size, wild turkeys can run up to 25 mph on the ground and fly 55 mph over short distances when evading predators.
20. They Roost in Trees Year-Round
For safety from predators and poor weather, turkeys will roost in trees every night throughout the year, not just in winter.
21. Ben Franklin Wanted the Turkey as America’s Bird
In 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter stating his preference for the wild turkey, not the bald eagle, to represent the national bird of America.
22. Loose Skin Helps Them Cool Off
The wrinkled, colored skin on a male turkey’s head and neck releases heat to help them stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
23. Turkeys Have 5,000-6,000 Feathers
Adult turkeys have between 5,000-6,000 small, dense feathers covering their bodies for warmth and waterproofing. Larger feathers aid in flight and display.
24. Native Americans Domesticated Wild Turkeys
Centuries before Europeans arrived, Native Americans managed wild turkey populations, transported them between regions, raised them in captivity, and used them as a food source.
Conclusion
In summary, wild turkeys are impressive birds uniquely adapted to thrive in North America. Their biology and behaviors reveal amazing strategies for survival. After near extinction, conservation efforts successfully restored wild turkey populations, preserving these captivating game birds for future generations.