Wild Turkeys are enormous, fat birds with long legs, broad, rounded tails, and a small head on a narrow neck.
Turkeys are dark entirely with a bronze-green iridescence to the most maximum of their plumage. Their wings are dark, strongly barred with white color.
Their tail and rump feathers are significantly tipped with white or rusty. The bare skin of the neck and head differs from blue to red to grey.
At the start of spring, males gather in fields to perform courtship displays. They blow up their body feathers, widen their tails into an erect fan, and strut slowly while offering a special gobbling call. At night, these birds fly up into trees to roost in flocks.
Turkey feathers come in a spectacular array of colors and patterns, making them some of the most beautiful feathers found in North America. While domesticated turkeys have been selectively bred to have mostly white feathers, wild turkeys sport plumage in a range of striking earth tones.
Understanding what colors turkey feathers can be helps bird watchers identify wild turkeys and appreciates their dazzling feathers, Read on for a guide to the various hues and markings that make up a turkey’s plumage
Overview of Turkey Feather Colors
Turkeys are generally colored in earthy browns blacks grays, and rusty oranges. However, certain feathers may also contain iridescent tones of copper, bronze and green.
Male turkeys, known as toms or gobblers, tend to have the brightest and most vividly colored plumage, especially during mating season. Their feathers are boldly patterned compared to the female turkey’s camouflaged feathers.
Both males and females have distinctive feather groups that include:
- Body feathers
- Wing feathers (primary, secondary and tertiary)
- Tail feathers
- Beard (found on male chest)
- Snood (fleshy projection on male’s forehead)
The colors and patterns differ between these feather groups, as well as between individuals, seasons, and subspecies.
Body Feathers
A turkey’s body is covered in thousands of overlapping body feathers that help insulate them. Body feathers have a denser, fluffier texture than flight feathers.
Males
- Mostly iridescent bronze, copper and green
- Intricate, mottled patterns of brown, black, white, orange and chestnut
Females
- Earthy tones of buff, brown and black
- Neatly barred with thin black and white bands
During mating season, male body feathers become much more vibrant and change to brilliant shades of red, orange, green and blue.
Wing Feathers
Turkeys have three main groups of flight feathers on their wings:
Primary feathers – Longest feathers located at the wingtip
Secondary feathers – Medium-length feathers under the primaries
Tertiary feathers – Shorter feathers towards the body
These stiff, aerodynamic feathers allow turkeys to fly short distances. Their colors and patterns are used to identify between male and female turkeys.
Males
- Primaries tipped with white and bold black-and-white bars
- Secondaries have vibrant bronze, chestnut, and iridescent green sheens
Females
- Primaries narrowly barred with black and brown
- Secondaries camouflage shades of brown and gray
Tail Feathers
A turkey’s tail feathers, also called rectrices, act as rudders when flying. They are exceptionally long in males compared to females.
Males
- 18+ inches long
- Chestnut brown with black, brown and white bands
- Tipped with creamy white or buff edges
Females
- 12 inches long
- Barred narrowly with blackish-brown and gray
- Tipped with buff or chestnut edges
During courtship, male turkeys will flare and fan their tail feathers to attract females. The rectrices accounting for up to half the turkey’s total body length.
Snood and Beard
Two unique features found only on male turkeys are the snood and beard. These fleshy growths protrude from their faces and chests.
Snood – Bright red or bluish flap of skin over the beak. Will elongate and change color during courtship.
Beard – Cluster of specialized black feathers resembling coarse hair. Grows from 6-12 inches long.
What Influences Turkey Feather Colors?
Several factors impact the specific shades and patterns of a turkey’s feathers:
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Sex – As seen above, male plumage is much more vibrant than females.
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Season – Feather colors intensify during the spring mating season. They are dullest in late summer after molting old feathers.
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Age – Younger birds have less defined patterns in their new feathers.
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Subspecies – The 5 North American wild turkey subspecies have minor variations in plumage colors.
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Diet – Nutrition can also affect feather pigmentation.
The Significance of Turkey Feather Colors
The stunning colors and patterns of turkey plumage serve important purposes for their survival.
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Camouflage allows females to blend into their surroundings while nesting.
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Vibrant males attract females during courtship displays.
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Iridescent feathers signal fitness and health when finding a mate.
For indigenous cultures, turkey feathers carried symbolic meaning and were used in tribal ceremonies and rituals. Many tribes considered the wild turkey a sacred bird.
The varied hues of turkey feathers have long dazzled observers. Now that you know what colors make up their plumage, you can marvel at the spectacle of these birds even more.
5 Supspecies of the Wild Turkey
Eastern Wild Turkeys (M.g. silvestris) exist in the eastern part of the United States; the name “silvestris” indicates “forest” turkey.
Florida Wild Turkeys (M.g. Osceola) exist in the southern part of Florida; called for a Seminole chief.
Merriam’s Wild Turkeys (M.g. merriami) exist in the hilly areas of the western United States; named in respect of the first chief of the United States Biological Survey, C. Hart Merriam.
Studying Turkey Feather Structure
Turkey feathers are one of the most incredible things in Turkeys to study because of their size. You can notice the structures of the feathers more efficiently on a turkey than a small sparrow that you might spot in your backyard.
The central shaft holding the feather to the bird’s body gives the feather its structure. The portion of the shaft that spreads beneath the body is called the calamus.
The portion of the shaft that is detected outside of the bird’s body is known as rachis. The vane of the feather is formed up of barbs that spread out from the rachis.
These barbs have small barbules with hooklets that tie feathers together and offer a smooth surface and shape. Using a hand-held magnifier, you can quickly investigate the small details of feathers that provide them with their unique characteristics.
Today, turkeys have achieved global fame because of their meat’s nutritional value and good taste. However, here we want to share the turkey feathers colors of both wild and domesticated turkeys.
You may have noticed only brown and white-colored turkeys, but you might be amazed at the various colors you’ll find of wild and domesticated turkeys. Each of the breeds has particular characteristics and unique feathers type.
Males are banded with multicolored feathers that shine in bronze, gold, green, copper, and red colors. Some wild classes also have different color phases, for example, gray, black, brown, reddish, and even albino.
You can witness domestic turkeys with a wide variety of colorful feathers. The shades of their feathers are also a great indicator of their production.
Both small and giant turkey species have white-colored feathers. Both Broad Breasted Bronze and Bourbon Red species possess dark coloration that glows with russet, copper, and chestnut colors.
Additional shades colored with bright blue and green color are seen in Gray Narragansett, Blue Slate, and Black Spanish turkeys. Turkeys with white-colored feathers are most well-known and broadly raised for meat production.
Turkey Feather Artist: Nicole Larson
FAQ
What is the rarest turkey color?
Can turkeys have green feathers?
What do female turkey feathers look like?
Why are turkey feathers iridescent?
What color are turkey feathers?
Actually turkey feathers colors vary depending on the breed. Wild turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys. While the domestic turkeys are normally white in color, and intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass.
Do turkeys have white feathers?
Turkeys with white colored feathers are most common and widely raised for meat production. Like domesticated turkeys, wide variety of colorful feathers can also be seen in wild turkeys. The wild male turkeys are banded with iridescent feathers that shine in colors of bronze, copper, gold, green and red.
What color is a wild turkey?
The most common and recognizable turkey colors are brown and white. The brown feathers help wild turkeys camouflage and blend into the forest floor, while the white feathers create speckled patterns that break up the bird’s outline. This is the natural coloring of wild turkeys in North America.
What do turkey wing feathers look like?
Primary Wing Feathers: These feathers are among the longest and narrows of turkey feathers and often feature brighter and more attractive colors. They typically have a narrow tip that widens slightly but maintains an even length. Expect thick patches of black alternated with thinner white strips.