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Project Noah Nature School
Meleagris gallopavo
Wild turkeys are large, dark-colored birds with unfeathered heads. Hens have lighter colored heads while toms, or gobblers, (males) have bluish and reddish heads and red wattles on the throat with a "beard" that protrudes from the breast. Feathers may flash beautiful russet colors in sunlight.
Eastern broadleaf forest is preferred habitat in Minnesota, where they forage for insects and mast, such as acorns. Turkeys are, however, found in many different environments including arid forests as well.
This photo is of a young gobbler that sometimes feeds beneath our bird feeder.
Spotted on Apr 22, 2010
Submitted on Apr 22, 2010
3 Comments
Thanks Gordon.... there used to be 12 in this group but two disappeared .... one of them was also a full grown gobbler but he had a longer beard than this one so I think the one in this photo did something to the other... drove it out? Now it is doing all the gobbling
This is a young gobbler. As a gobbler becomes mature the bare skin on the head may changed color from gray to white, blue, and red depending upon the bird's state of arousal. You have a great photo of a mature gobbler in full strut and one that is showing a great deal of aggression. Great shot.
re young gobbler: That explains the difference in face coloration? You have described our bird feeder tom perfectly. We have a flock of 10 that comes everyday. There are young toms in the group but they stay cool and don't display when the big one is around.
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