Eastern wild turkeys are part of a group of birds that include pheasants, grouse and quail. Wild turkeys are the largest of the North American game birds with an adult male weighing 17 to 30 pounds. An adult hen will weigh from 8 to 12 pounds.

Gobblers (or toms) can be identified by a reddish-blue head and neck, a long hairlike appendage known as a beard, a sharp bony spur on the lower part of each leg, and black tipped breast feathers. Hens tend to be slimmer in appearance; have a less colorful head; have breast feathers with light-colored tips; and lack spurs. A few hens have beards, but other characteristics will help to distinguish male from female.

Wild Turkey Identification

image of wild turkey anatomy

  1. Head -- feathers only to base of head; colors variable red, white, and blue.
  2. Beard -- evident
  3. Foot -- greater than 4.5 "
  4. Droppings -- j-shaped
  5. Tarsus Length -- 6 "; with spur
  6. Breast Feather -- black tip
  7. Head -- feathers on crown; light blue.
  8. Beard -- usually none
  9. Foot -- less than 4.5"
  10. Droppings -- curled
  11. Tarsus Length -- 4.5"; no spur
  12. Breast Feather -- buff-colored tip

Wild turkeys differ from domestic turkeys in color and body form. Wild turkeys tend to be slimmer and more streamlined in appearance. Tips of the tail feathers on wild turkeys are usually deep chocolate brown; on domestic birds the tips are white. Also, the legs of wild birds are bright pink, while the legs of domestic birds are gray or black.

Wild turkeys are susceptible to many of the diseases of domestic turkeys and chickens: fowl diphtheria, fowl typhoid, cholera, blackhead, trichomoniasis and coccidiosis. Fortunately, wild and domestic birds seldom come in contact with each other, thereby reducing the opportunity for disease to spread. Potential for the transmission of disease is a major reason why releasing domestic birds into the wild is greatly discouraged and illegal.

In the early spring, flocks formed during winter begin to break-up and courtship and mating begin. In the winter, gobblers flock together, separate from hens, young hens and jakes (young males). Occasionally jakes will be found with gobblers, but typically they remain with the hens until spring flock break-up. As courtship and mating commerce, males begin traveling greater distances seeking mates. Gobbling increases and strutting displays characterized by tail fanning and wing dragging also become more frequent. Older dominant birds do most of the breeding and one gobbler is capable of breeding with many females.

The Wild Turkey Life Cycle

ACTIVITY MONTH
1. Flocks break-up image of chart detailing Wild Turkey Life cycle
2. Gobbling begins; 1st peak early April
3. Gobbling continues; 2nd peak late April
4. Courtship/ mating
5. Hens nesting
6. Broods appear
7. Brood flocks form
8. Gobblers seen in small flocks
Peak time for gobbling in most years is late April. By this time most of the hens are laying eggs or incubating. The average clutch for wild turkeys is about 11 and incubation takes 28 days. In Missouri, most young turkeys hatch in late May and early June.

Turkey nests usually are located near the edge of woods, old fields and roadsides. As soon as the last turkey has hatched, the hen leads her brood away from the nest. During the first 3 weeks of life, young turkeys (poults) are vulnerable to cold, rainy weather and must depend on the older hen for protection and warmth. In addition, young turkeys may be preyed on by foxes, coyotes, bobcats, or great-horned owls.

Young turkeys grow rapidly and need a diet high in protein. For the first week, approximately 80 percent of the poult's diet will consist of insects. As they become older, their diet will broaden to include grass seed, fruit of dogwood, wild grapes, acorns, corn, oats and wheat.

At approximately 2 weeks of age, the poults can fly short distances and are soon roosting in trees. At 16 weeks, the young poults are hard to distinguish from adults at a distance.

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Content revision: 20040618