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Beard:
A male turkey grows a cluster of long, hair-like
feathers (beard) from the center of its chest. On
adult males, these beards average about 9 inches in
length. Ten to 20 percent of hens also grow beards.
The function of the beard is not well understood,
but it is suspected to play a role in mate selection
by a female. A longer beard signifies an older,
healthier male, thus a superior mate.
Legs:
Wild turkey legs are reddish-
orange. They have four toes on
each foot. Male wild turkeys
grow large spurs on the backs
of their lower legs. These spurs
are pointed, bony spikes and
are used for defense and to
establish dominance. Spurs
can grow up to 2 inches in
length.
Tail:
Wild turkey tails are usually 12 to 15 inches long and
banded at their tips. The color of the bands in the tail
varies by subspecies. Male wild turkeys fan their tails
when displaying to attract a mate. All tail feathers of
adult males (toms) are the same length. The feathers
forming the center of a tail of a juvenile (jake) are
usually longer than the rest of the feathers in the tail.
WILD TURKEY IDENTIFICATION
