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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% 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 usually are 12 to 15 inches in length 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.
(Source: National Wild Turkey Federation, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission)
