Wild Turkey Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Wild Turkeys are very large, plump birds with long legs, wide, rounded tails, and a small head on a long, slim neck.

  Relative Size

  One of our largest and heaviest birds; smaller than a Trumpeter Swan; about twice the size (and four times as heavy) as a Ring-necked Pheasant.

  goose-sized or larger

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 43.3-45.3 in (110-115 cm)
    • Weight: 88.2-381.0 oz (2500-10800 g)
    • Wingspan: 49.2-56.7 in (125-144 cm)

  © D. Bruce Yolton / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Turkeys are dark overall with a bronze-green iridescence to most of their plumage. Their wings are dark, boldly barred with white. Their rump and tail feathers are broadly tipped with rusty or white. The bare skin of the head and neck varies from red to blue to gray.

• Behavior

  Turkeys travel in flocks and search on the ground for nuts, berries, insects, and snails. They use their strong feet to scratch leaf litter out of the way. In early spring, males gather in clearings to perform courtship displays. They puff up their body feathers, flare their tails into a vertical fan, and strut slowly while giving a characteristic gobbling call. At night, turkeys fly up into trees to roost in groups.
• Habitat

  Wild Turkeys live in mature forests, particularly nut trees such as oak, hickory, or beech, interspersed with edges and fields. You may also see them along roads and in woodsy backyards. After being hunted out of large parts of their range, turkeys were reintroduced and are numerous once again.

Regional Differences

Wild Turkeys in the Rocky Mountains tend to have whitish tips to the rump and tail feathers, whereas other populations have rusty or chestnut tail tips.

Regional Photos

© David Turko / Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, March 23, 2017

© Andrew Dreelin / Macaulay LibraryArizona, July 29, 2016