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.
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.
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WILD TURKEY IDENTIFICATION
