The wild turkey is a fascinating bird, with its raptor-like feet, coarse and dangling chest beard, and a tendency to challenge everything from lightning to car alarms with its thundering gobble. While all of these are worthy of attention (some of which has been given), perhaps none is more interesting than the ever-changing colour of the bird’s notoriously unsightly head.
Wild turkeys have an amazing ability to rapidly change the colors and appearance of their bare heads and necks. This “mood ring” can provide keen observers with valuable insight into what a turkey is feeling and how it may behave. Learning to read a turkey’s face can help hunters better predict and react to the bird’s movements.
The Colors and Markings of a Turkey’s Head
A turkey’s head comes in a spectrum of different colors, shades and textures. These can fluctuate quickly based on the bird’s mood and health condition.
Blue-White
When a turkey’s head appears pale blue or blue-white it signals a relaxed content bird. The blue tones are created by the oxygenation of blood vessels under the skin. A vibrant blue head is a great sign if a tom is approaching your decoys. It means he is unaware of your presence.
Bright Red
A flushed red head is a clear indicator of an agitated angry or territorial turkey. Red results from increased blood flow. A red head is often seen on challenging toms or hens defending poults. It can also occur when a turkey spots danger.
Pale Pink
Subdued pinkish hues point to a turkey that is alert but not yet alarmed It may signal caution or uncertainty in response to a sound or movement, It’s a moderate level of excitation,
Partial Reddening
Sometimes only parts of the head will redden, like the area around the eyes or the throat. This suggests the turkey is beginning to get riled up or stressed in response to a perceived threat.
White Markings
When turkeys strut, the skin on their neck and head can ripple to create pronounced bumps and ridges. This is due to temporary tissue swelling. White dots or streaks appear where the skin has stretched thin over the bumps.
Wrinkled Texture
Under high stress or aggression, the skin on a turkey’s head can take on a heavily wrinkled texture. This signals extreme upset or hostility, as seen on challenging toms. A wrinkled head is a sign things may escalate.
What a Turkey’s Face Says About Its Behavior
Reading facial cues allows hunters to predict and respond appropriately to turkeys’ behavior. Here’s what different facial appearances typically signify:
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Pale blue – The turkey is calm and unaware. It can be called in slowly and cautiously.
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Pinkish red – The turkey is alerted, so avoid calling aggressively. Be ready to shoot soon.
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Bright red – The turkey is agitated. It may flush or attack. Be prepared for quick action.
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Partial red – The turkey is suspicious of something. Stop calling and stay still.
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Extreme wrinkles – The turkey is highly aggressive. It may be best to wait for it to move on.
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Drooping wings – The turkey feels content and secure. It can be called in carefully.
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Erect fan – The turkey is showing off for hens. Maintain realistic hen calls.
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Constricted pupils – The turkey has spotted something and is assessing the threat. Stop movement and calling.
Other Physical Signals of Turkey Behavior
While the head is most dynamic, there are other physical clues to understand turkey body language:
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Fluffed feathers – The turkey is feeling threatened and preparing to flee.
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Relaxed wings – The turkey is at ease and its guard is down.
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Twitching wings – The turkey is aggravated and may fight or take flight.
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Strutting – The turkey is feeling amorous and looking to attract mates.
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Crouching – The turkey is alarmed and getting ready to run.
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Fanned tail – The turkey is feeling territorial and assertive.
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Raised tail – The turkey has spotted potential danger and is on alert.
Benefits of Reading Turkey Faces and Body Language
There are clear advantages for hunters who learn to interpret the physical signals wild turkeys display:
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Predict when a turkey is relaxed enough to be called in close.
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Recognize when a turkey is about to flee or attack.
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Prevent alerting turkeys by avoiding unwanted behaviors.
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Know when to use aggressive calls versus subtle, realistic calls.
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Determine if a turkey has spotted you and is alarmed.
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Prevent spooking turkeys by understanding their emotions and intentions.
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Decide when to take a shot quickly before the turkey’s behavior changes.
Learning the meaning behind turkey heads of blue, red, white and pink, as well as other physical displays, gives hunters a window into the turkey’s mind. It enables anticipating their reactions, avoiding alerts and having more successful hunts. Next time you encounter a turkey up close, take note of its face, and you may gain invaluable insight into its next move.
What the Colours Mean
Turkeys are anything but easy to hunt, however, their flamboyant nature does provide some key insights into their moods that can help you make better decisions in the woods. As seen in my unfortunate anecdote, head colour is one of the best clues. As the turkey approached, his head was in pale shades of white and blue. These colours typically signal a relaxed bird and are a good indicator that you are well hidden and that the bird is unaware of your presence. These colours are also known to appear pale when the turkey is preparing to mate, an excellent sign if the bird is moving in towards one of your hen decoys. This makes a pale-coloured turkey a welcomed sign for hunters and can allow you to relax and slowly bring you gun to you shoulder.
While the pale coloured head can be reassuring, things can quickly change for the worse, as seen in my situation a few seasons ago. As the bird reached 40 yards and his head began to deepen in colour, I failed to recognize the signal that perhaps could have saved my hunt. Like the blushing of a maddened man, the head of a wild turkey will often flush with red when they feel angry or threatened. For the hunter, this means shutting down your calling or simply pulling the trigger, as the time to do so is surely running out.
Besides head colour, the body language of wild turkeys can also tell you a lot about how they are feeling. Here are a few to look out for when in the woods this season:
Putting:
Putting is a short and sharp call that is used by the turkeys when they are frightened or distressed. This can often sound very similar to the classic cluck sound that hunters try so hard to emanate, however, the sound will be noticeably shorter and sharper. If a bird makes this sound in your presence, you are likely found out and should get a shot as soon as possible. Hunters should also avoid using this call when in the field, adding yelps to the end of your clucks to make sure you are not sending off the warning signal yourself.
Wing Twitching:
Wing twitching is common amongst aggravated birds. If you are using a male decoy, this may not be any cause for alarm. If you are running a solo hen, however, get your work done as soon as possible as this bird is likely preparing to flee.
Head Up:
Since nearly everything in the woods is looking to eat them, turkeys are naturally wary and can often be seen with their head raised in the air as they scan the environment for any signs of danger. This is something that you are likely to come across on nearly every hunt, however, multiple birds raising their heads in sequence can often mean you have been found out.
The Seven-Faced Bird: An Anecdote
The turkey’s ability to change the colour of its head has long been observed by all those who have encountered the bird at close range. In Japan and Korea, this defining feature is represented in the bird’s name, Shichimencho and Chilmyeonjo respectively, translated to English as “the Seven-faced Bird”. While seven faces may be a bit of a stretch, any hunter who has spent time with these birds will tell you that there are at least three: blue, white, and unfortunately red.
I experienced just how fast these birds can make these transitions first-hand a few years ago when hunting spring turkeys in Southern Ontario. The property I was hunting was a small plot of farmland that I have had permission to hunt for most of my hunting career. Since I am the only hunter on the property, save for a few close friends and family members, the turkeys see little hunting pressure and are often at least somewhat cooperative. During this particular season, however, I managed enough clumsy hunts early on to make the birds as wary as I had ever seen them. One of these clumsy hunts, however, resulted in some interesting observations.
I had spent much of the early season working the same big tom that I had run into on opening day, memorable for a lone white-striped tail-feather that sat in the middle of his dark brown fan. Though an impressive nickname for this bird would fit well in this part of the story, Jack White (AKA Elephant, AKA some other White Stripes related nickname) unfortunately remained nameless while I was hunting him.
Early in the second week of the season, after countless days of listening to him gobble in distant fields, the pale blue head of the familiar turkey emerged from the woods as he and his white-striped fan began strutting across the field, b-lined towards my decoys. After a few curious pauses from the bird and a few more clucks from my mouth call, the tom was finally approaching shooting distance, his head still in dull yet glorious shades of white and blue. As the bird reached 40 yards, I watched him pause, head raised and its colour starting to deepen in bold shades of red. Thinking nothing of it and wanting to see more of this bird before I pulled the trigger, I sent out a few more clucks to bring him within my preferred range of 30 yards. As soon as the sound left my lips, the tom’s now dark red head lowered and he began sprinting across the field, not to be seen until mid-May when I finally managed to take him.
3 Minutes Face to Face With A Turkey
FAQ
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