26 | Turkey Hunting Information: 402-471-0641
Size:
The wild turkey is the largest of North America's game birds.
Feathers:
Males: Gobblers have iridescent red, green, copper, bronze and
gold feathers. They use these bright colors to great advantage when
attracting females during breeding season.
Females: Hens have drab, usually brown or gray feathers. They
make great camouflage and hide hens when they sit on their nests.
Color Phases: A few wild turkeys grow unusually-colored
feathers. These are known as color phases. There are four color
phases: smokey-gray color phase, a black color phase (melanistic),
a reddish color phase (erythritic) and a white color phase (domestic
hybrid, leucistic or albino).
Head:
Males: Males have brightly colored, nearly
featherless heads. During breeding season, the color
of their heads alternates between red, white and
blue, often changing in a few seconds.
Hens: A hen's head is grayish-blue and has some
small feathers for camouflage.
Caruncles and Snoods: Both males and
females have fleshy growths on their necks known
as caruncles. They also both have snoods, fleshy
protrubances that hang over their bills and can be extended or contracted at will. The snood of an
adult male is usually much larger than that of a female.
(Source: National Wild Turkey Federation, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission)
Adult males,
known as toms or
gobblers, normally
weigh between 16
and 24 pounds.
Females, known
as hens, are
smaller than
males and usually
weigh between 8
and 10 pounds.
Cover Photo: NGPC/NEBRASKAland Magazine
WILD TURKEY IDENTIFICATION
