Yes, a male turkey is commonly referred to as a “tom”. This name distinguishes the male of the species from the female, which is called a “hen”
The terminology dates back centuries and originates from the domestication of wild turkeys. Let’s explore the history behind this traditional naming and look at some key identification features to tell toms and hens apart.
Where Does the Name “Tom Turkey” Come From?
“Tom turkey” first appeared in print back in the 1600s and was well established by the 1700s. The male was named for its stereotypical masculine qualities.
“Tomcat” was also in use at the time for male cats So early American colonists extended the “tom” label to the leader of the turkey flock
Other traditional names for male turkeys include “gobbler” and “stag”. Regionally you may also hear “jake” for a young male. Whatever name you use, a virile full-grown male turkey is correctly called a tom.
Distinguishing Features of Toms
Toms stand out from hens in size, appearance and behavior:
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Size – Toms are substantially larger, some weighing over 20 pounds compared to 8-10 pound hens They stand taller too, around 3 feet to a hen’s 2 feet.
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Plumage – Toms have metallic, iridescent feathers in copper, bronze and green. Their main tail feathers and wing feathers are black. Overall they appear much darker than hens.
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Head – Toms have a bald head that can change from red to blue to white. A fleshy growth called a snood hangs over the bill.
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Beard – A tom’s beard is a cluster of black, hair-like feathers protruding from the chest. It may exceed 9 inches long.
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Legs – Toms have thicker legs equipped with sharp spurs used for fighting. Hen spurs are dainty in comparison.
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Fanning – A tom spreads his tail feathers in a mating display. You’ll never see a hen do this strutting ritual.
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Gobbling – The male’s loud, repetitive gobble call can carry over a mile and is unmistakable.
Hen Turkey Characteristics
In contrast to toms, hens are smaller, plainer and less flashy overall:
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Their size is about half that of a tom, weighing 8-12 pounds.
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Their plumage lacks iridescence and is mostly shades of brown, gray and buff.
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Hens have a blue-gray head covered in small rounded feathers.
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They lack the prominent snood and thick beard of a tom.
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Their legs are thinner with petite spurs.
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Hens make clicking, clucking and raspy purring sounds, but never gobble.
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They nest, incubate eggs and raise young without male participation.
Young Toms Are Called Jakes
A tom turkey less than 1 year old is referred to as a “jake”. At this age, they are starting to take on adult tom characteristics but on a smaller scale.
Jakes are noticeably bigger than hens but smaller than mature toms. Their beard measures under 6 inches. And their gobble sound is weaker and higher pitched than an old tom’s booming gobble.
By their second spring, jakes will have grown into full-fledged adult toms ready to strut their stuff and breed. They will then take over flocks from older dominant toms.
Regional and Traditional Names
While “tom” is the most widely used term, male turkeys may also be called:
- Gobbler
- Stag
- Jake
- Cock
- Old Tom
Some fun regional names include Billy (North Carolina), Tim (Maryland), and Hem (New England).
So whether you opt for tom, gobbler or something more creative, you have the right label for the male of this native North American game bird. When you see a turkey strutting his stuff and fanning his tail, you can correctly call that handsome bird a tom!
Turkey Basics-Gobblers and Hens
Let’s begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens).
Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Gobblers have a featherless, red head (sometimes with blue and white coloring, too) with prominent wattle and fleshy, red growths (called caruncles) on their neck. They also have a “beard”—a tuft of black, hair-like strands—protruding from their chest.
On adult gobblers (called toms), the beard can be 7-9 inches or more in length, but on young gobblers (called jakes) the beard is <6 inches long. Typically, gobblers hang out away from hens during the summer since they take no part in raising young.
Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers. They have a head that is more blue-gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head.
Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not to the same extent as gobblers.
How many gobblers and hens do you see in this picture?
2 gobblers (both jakes, note the larger size, less-feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard protruding from the chest of the jake on the right), 4 hens (one mostly hidden behind a jake, but you still can clearly see the typical head of a hen turkey poking out), 1 unknown. If we were here in person live, the birds would move about and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake, but given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown.
Poults develop very quickly (they must in order not to be eaten!) and feather types, appearance, and body size change rapidly as they age. Based on these characteristics, we can estimate the age of poults. For simplicity, we divide poults into three age classes.
1 week old or younger. Poults that are no more than about a week old are still covered with downy feathers and are very small (<5-6 inches tall). They look like little puff balls about the size of your fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers. They are about 6-10 inches tall, similar in size to a Blue Jay. In appearance, they look to be all wings (which is good because it means now they can fly into low trees to escape ground predators). Poults on the older end of this age class will have started to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies, but still have short tail feathers.
Hen with class 2 age group poults
Hen with older class 2 age-group poult (borderline class 3)
Hen with class 2 age group poults
6-8 weeks or older. Poults early in this stage still have some down feathers occurring on the neck and head, but their body is covered with juvenile type contour feathers. They have visible tail feathers now, black-and-white barred wing feathers are emerging, and they stand about 10-12 inches tall, similar in size to a crow or a chicken. By about 8 weeks of age, poults are beginning to grow new “adult” looking body feathers and will have a mixture of juvenile feathers and adult feathers on their body. They are about half the size of the hen and will continue to grow to almost the same size as the hen by the end of the summer. Turkey Poults
Because they are very similar in size, late in the summer it can be very challenging to determine if a group of similar-sized turkeys is a flock of hens without poults or a hen and her older-age-class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
Turkey Identification – Turkey Hunting for Beginners
FAQ
Why is a male turkey called a tom?
What is the male turkey called?
Is a male turkey a gobbler or tom?
What male bird is called a tom?
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Swan
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Tom
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Why is a Turkey called a Tom?
The name “tom” is also thought to be a reference to the male turkey’s role as the dominant bird in a group. While the terms “tom” and “gobbler” are the most common names for male turkeys, there are many regional and cultural variations on these names.
What is a male Turkey called?
Male turkeys are called toms or gobblers. They weigh from 18 to as much as 25 pounds and are almost 3 feet tall, making them significantly larger than females. Adult toms boast featherless red, blue or white skin on their heads; the color changes as males grow excited.
What is the difference between a hen and a tom turkey?
The head is not the only coloring difference between a hen vs a tom turkey. Let’s look at the rest of their feathers. As you might have guessed, tom turkeys have flashier feathering than the hen like most other avian species. The hen’s overall feathering is a browner tint than the darker, blacker tom’s.
What is a baby turkey called?
A baby turkey is called a poult, chick, or even turklette. An adult male turkey is called a tom (an adolescent male is a jake), and a female is a hen. How Big Do Turkeys Get? The domestic tom can weigh up to 50 pounds, and the domestic hen up to 16 pounds. The wild tom can weigh up to 20 pounds, and the wild hen up to 12 pounds. Can Turkeys Fly?