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.
As fall approaches and turkey hunting season gears up, it’s fascinating to take a closer look at one of the most distinguishing features of these remarkable birds – their feathers
Turkeys are covered in thousands of feathers that serve a variety of crucial purposes Feathers provide insulation, allow turkeys to fly and mate, and give each bird its unique patterning and colors. But just how many feathers does a mature turkey have? Let’s take a deeper dive into turkey plumage
An Impressive Feather Count
According to the USDA, a mature turkey has between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. That’s right – thousands! This impressive feather count allows the turkey to stay warm and dry, fly short distances, attract mates, camouflage itself, and more.
While the total number varies slightly between individual turkeys, most adults will have right around 5,500 feathers. This number remains relatively constant throughout the turkey’s life after reaching maturity.
So the next time you’re out scouting or hunting turkeys, take a moment to appreciate just how many intricate feathers it takes to make up their coat and enable their survival. It’s a feat of nature!
The Main Feather Types
Turkeys have different types of feathers that serve specialized purposes. Here’s a quick overview of the main feather categories:
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Tail Feathers: Also called rectrices, the turkey’s tail feathers number around 18. They aid in flight stability and control and allow toms to attract hens.
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Wing Feathers: The largest wing feathers are the 10 primary feathers on the outer part of each wing. Without these, a turkey cannot fly. There are also 18-19 shorter secondary feathers toward the “armpit” area.
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Contour Feathers: These feathers provide insulation and water resistance. They also account for much of the patterning and color variations.
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Down Feathers: Soft, fluffy down feathers keep turkey poults warm and cozy. Some down feathers remain through adulthood underneath the contour feathers for insulation.
Caring For All Those Feathers
With so many feathers to maintain, turkeys have specialized behaviors to keep their plumage in peak condition. These feather care activities include:
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Dusting: Turkeys bathe in dust to absorb excess oils and remove parasites from their feathers.
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Sunning: Lying in sunny spots helps dry feathers and kill bacteria.
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Preening: Turkeys carefully spread oils from their preen gland over each feather to moisturize, realign, and waterproof.
Without being able to regularly perform these activities, a turkey’s feathers would quickly become unusable, putting their health and survival at risk.
What You Can Do With Turkey Feathers
If you successfully harvest a turkey, you can make use of those beautiful feathers instead of letting them go to waste. Some fun ideas include:
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Make a decorative fan mount.
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Use feathers to accent home decor.
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Create cat toys.
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Fletch your own arrows or ties flies for fishing.
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Incorporate feathers into clothing, jewelry, or crafts.
The possibilities are endless! Not only are the feathers practical while on the turkey, but they can add beauty and enjoyment to your life as well.
Appreciating Turkey Plumage
When you have the privilege of harvesting a mature tom or hen, take a moment to reflect on the intricacy of its feathers. Run your fingers over the soft yet sturdy plumage. Notice the variations in color and patterning. Appreciate the effort that went into keeping each feather aligned and conditioned.
A turkey’s feathers are a true marvel of nature! Understanding more about turkey plumage gives us insight into what makes them such special creatures to observe and hunt. And it serves as a good reminder to use every part of the animal and honor their sacrifice.
So next turkey season when you’re out before dawn all bundled up against the cold, think about how the turkey’s feathers allow it to thrive in the elements. Take in the sight of a big tom strutting by, tail fanned and feathers puffed up in all his glory. And if you get one, admire those thousands of intricate feathers up close. What an amazing bird!
Characteristics of the Strut
If you’re not a turkey hunter, you may be questioning what a strutting turkey seems like. The strut of these birds consists of five chief characteristics:
- The bird will drop down their wings to allow the main wing feathers to reach the ground.
- The bird will keep its tail erect and expand its tail feathers to make a fan.
- The gobbler will put all the breast and back feathers in a vertical position, making him appear larger.
- The head, caruncles and naked skin of a wild turkey may vary from blue to flesh tone or bright red. The bird’s crown is normally completely white.
- The bird will draw its neck and head down into an “s” shape and extend the snood (or leader) near the bottom of its beak.
Each of the above characteristics signifies a strut, and during the display, the turkey usually shakes and makes two sounds, a clear “huff” or a deep drumming and spitting sound.
Uses for Turkey Feathers
Feathers can be so well-supplied, but what are they used for?
Impressively, feathers can be used for various things that likely aren’t believed about right off: Diapers, Insulation, Pillow stuffing, Paper, Upholstery padding, Plastics, and Feather Meal.
But the uses above are perfect for commercial, large quantities of feathers. For the personal use of turkey feathers, several uses and decorations are pretty beautiful, functional, and even historic.
You can apply feathers to make several decorative products such as boas, masks, bird ornaments, costume accessories, feather fans, and even earrings and flowers. They are also regularly used in the making of fishing flies.
Initially, Turkey feathers were utilized to stabilize arrows and beautify the ceremonial dress. The spurs on the legs of wild tom turkeys were practised on arrowheads as projectiles.
The outfit that “Big Bird” carries on Sesame Street is rumored to be produced from turkey feathers.
Besides, you might be wondering, is it legal to use feathers? Not all birds are illegal. For instance, the feathers of turkeys, chickens, and peacocks are legal.
How many tail feathers does a mature turkey have?
FAQ
How many feathers are in a turkeys fan?
What age are turkeys fully feathered?
What does it mean when a turkey spreads its feathers?
How many tail feathers does a Turkey have?
Turkeys have 18 tail feathers known as rectrices. Collectively, these turkey feathers are called the fan. The turkey’s tail feathers (along with the wing feathers) are overlapped by a series of feathers known as the coverts. These feathers help keep the turkey aerodynamic. They also provide insulation.
How many feathers does a Turkey have at maturity?
According to the National Turkey Federation, it’s estimated that turkeys have 3,500 feathers at maturity. How many feathers are there in turkey? According to the National Turkey Federation, it’s estimated that turkeys have 3,500 feathers at maturity. What feathers does a mature turkey have?
What does a Merriam’s Turkey look like?
The tips of the tail feathers of a Merriam’s turkey are nearly white. These feather tips are more tan or buff in color on a Rio Grande turkey. On Easterns and Osceolas, the tips are a chestnut brown. Turkeys have different sets of feathers on their wings. These flight feathers are known as remiges.
Do turkeys molt tail feathers?
As feathers become worn, they loosen in their follicles and drop out, pushed out by the already growing new feather underneath. The prime function of a molt is the replacement of worn feathers. Adult birds normally molt and renew their feathers once a year, usually after the natural breeding season. Do turkeys regrow tail feathers?