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Eastern Wild Turkey

Eastern Wild Turkey. By: Tiffany Madison and Rachel Schardein. Toms (Gobblers) Have a red head, throat and wattles Head is featherless, the snood is over the beak When excited the snood becomes engorged with blood so it looks like their head turns blue, then when about to fight it turns red

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Eastern Wild Turkey

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  1. Eastern Wild Turkey By: Tiffany Madison and Rachel Schardein

  2. Toms (Gobblers) • Have a red head, throat and wattles • Head is featherless, the snood is over the beak • When excited the snood becomes engorged with blood so it looks like their head turns blue, then when about to fight it turns red • Feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze and gold • Have a tuft of coarse hair called a beard growing in the center of their breast and can reach up to 9in. • Each foot has three toes, and males have a spur behind each of their lower legs

  3. Hens • Have long dark tails the shape of a fan and bronze wings • Feathers are duller than males and shades of gray and brown • Only 10%-20% of hens have beards • Much smaller than males and only way up to 12 pounds and are 37 inches long

  4. Turkey Talk • Ben Franklin wanted the turkey as the national bird • By the 20th century many turkeys were wiped out by hunting and loss of woodlands • Turkey population increased in the 1950’s due to trap and transfer programs • Gobble sound can be heard a mile away • Eastern wild turkey has the widest range, and is the most hunted turkey • Can grow up to 4 feet tall and can reach up to 30 lbs. • There are about 5 million

  5. Life Cycle • Most abundant of the 5 subspecies • Breeding starts in early March and eggs hatch by June • Breeding begins when the days get longer • Birds separate from their winter flocks to smaller groups or go alone • Pecking orders- males and females have their own groups and fight for dominance • Defend their home ranges • Courtship gobbling and strutting by the males • Gobblers (Toms) search for the hens

  6. Life Cycle • Nests are made from scratching • 10-12 Eggs laid in 2 weeks • Incubate 26-28 days • Predators (skunks, raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, snakes, coyotes, great horned owls, dogs) • Have to be careful about going to their nests • Pipping sounds start and the hen clucks softly which is critical to survival • Causes imprinting of their species and if not learned at this time it can’t be reversed • Baby turkeys are called poults

  7. Life Cycle • Poults form a brood that is constantly feeding (insects and plants) • When they are 1 day old they learn the putt (alarm) sound of the hen • Week 1-dusting with hen • Week 2-fly short distances • Week 3-roost in low trees

  8. Life Cycle • After 6 weeks old, poults have a better chance for survival • At 14 weeks you can tell male and female apart by body size and plumage • This is the age the males have a pecking order and are dominated by the hen until all males are gone and have made their own group • Adolescent males are called Jakes • They are full grown at the beginning of winter

  9. Diet • Turkeys are omnivores • Nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, salamanders, trees and snakes • Forage on the ground • Eat early in the morning and late afternoon

  10. Turkey Calls

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