Gobble Gobble: Understanding the Unique Sounds of the Turkey

The turkey is a distinctive looking bird known for the floppy red flesh that hangs from its beak and its large fan-shaped tail feathers. But equally as iconic as the turkey’s appearance are the unique noises it makes. From the familiar gobble to the high-pitched yelps, learning to identify the different turkey sounds can help birders detect these birds in the wild.

The Gobble – Calling Card of the Male Turkey

The most recognizable turkey sound is undoubtedly the gobble. Male turkeys, known as toms or gobblers, issue this loud, rapid gurgling call to announce their presence to females (hens) in the area and to communicate with rival males.

The gobble is unique to male turkeys and plays a vital role in their spring mating rituals. Starting before dawn, males will gobble repeatedly from their nighttime roosts in trees. They continue gobbling when they fly down to the ground and throughout the day to attract females and warn off other males. The gobble can carry over a mile and is essential for turkeys to find each other in the dense forests they inhabit.

You can distinguish the gobble from other turkey sounds by its speed, volume and vocal qualities. The noise bursts out in a series of staccato notes that sound like “gobble, gobble, gobble.” It has a guttural, garbled quality, almost like the turkey is gargling water as he calls The gobble lasts just a second or two, but toms repeat it every few minutes when actively looking to connect with hens

Here is an example of a gobbling wild turkey

Yelps, Purrs and Whistles from Hens

While the gobble may be the classic turkey sound, hens also vocalize in a variety of ways. The most common hen turkey noises include:

• Yelping – A loud, staccato series of high-pitched “yelp, yelp, yelp” notes used to regroup with flock members after becoming separated.

• Purring – Soft, rolling purrs used for close range communication between flock mates while traveling on the ground.

• Cackling – Loud, short cackling noises as they fly up or down from a roost.

• Whistling – A whistled “peep, peep, peep” made by lost chicks when trying to find the rest of the brood.

Hens may also cluck softly while nesting and emit a little squealing noise during mating. Though not as loud or carrying as far as the gobble, paying attention to the diverse vocalizations of hen turkeys can help identify their flocks.

Decoding Turkey Talk

When searching for wild turkeys, listen closely to try and distinguish their many distinct sounds. Being able to identify a gobble can alert you to the presence of male turkeys, even if they are out of sight. Recognizing yelps and purrs signals a group of foraging hens nearby.

Understanding what a turkey sounds like takes some experience detecting the unique pitch, duration and tone of their various calls. But familiarizing yourself with turkey vocabulary will enhance any sighting of these charismatic gamebirds. Next time you are outdoors, keep your ears open for that signature gobble or excited yelping and you may be rewarded with the sight of magnificent wild turkeys in action.