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Meleagris gallopavo
Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green legs and a black body. Males, called toms or gobblers, have a large, featherless, reddish head, red throat, and red wattles on the throat and neck. The head has fleshy growths called caruncles. When males are excited, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, and this, the wattles and the bare skin of the head and neck all become engorged with blood, almost concealing the eyes and bill. The long fleshy object over a male's beak is called a snood. When a male turkey is excited, its head turns blue; when ready to fight, it turns red. Each foot has three toes, and males have a spur behind each of their lower legs. Male turkeys have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. As with many other species of the Galliformes, turkeys exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Females, called hens, have feathers that are duller overall, in shades of brown and gray.
Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, BC
Spotted wandering on the road in the middle of nowhere.
12 Comments
Let's hope he dodges the bullet! :)
It needs to NOT be the next Thanksgiving dinner so it can pass on the paleness!
Thanks Carol!
Argy, I had assumed it had pink eyes but I see you are right!
Because the eyes have colour this white one is leucistic not an albino?
Glad I ventured over here. Great spot!
Thanks everyone!
Nice spotting!
cool spotting
Wow!
Thanks Argy!
Emma, this is the first time I've seen a white turkey - we see many in Tennessee but all the more usual dark variety.
Excellent spot.
is white a normal color for the hen?