Turkeys are the quintessential Thanksgiving icon and an important North American bird. In fact, Benjamin Franklin made the case for the turkey as the national bird of the United States! However, the turkey famously lost to the bald eagle by a single vote. Most everyone knows what the colorful and enigmatic tom turkey looks like, but can you tell the difference between a turkey hen and a jake turkey?
For hunters and birders alike, distinguishing a young male jake turkey from mature gobblers and hens takes knowledge of their unique physical traits. Unlike the flashy tom turkeys, jakes exhibit more subtle features that set them apart from females. Read on to learn how to identify jake turkeys based on size, feathering, coloration and other distinguishing markings.
What is a Jake Turkey?
A jake is a young male wild turkey under 2 years old that has not yet reached full maturity Jake turkeys are adolescents, steadily transforming from dull-colored poults to flamboyant adult gobblers capable of breeding
During this transitional period several traits help identify jakes
- Small, developing beard
- Short, pointed tail feathers
- Small leg spurs
- Larger size than hens
- Hint of red on head and neck
Identifying Features of Jake Turkeys
Beard – The most definitive jake feature is his beard. This is a cluster of coarse hair-like feathers protruding from the chest. A jake’s beard will measure less than 6 inches compared to 8+ inches on mature toms.
Tail Feathers – A jake’s central tail feathers are pointed and protrude noticeably higher than the others when fanned. An adult gobbler’s tail feathers are of uniform length.
Leg Spurs – Small, sharp spurs up to 1⁄2 inch long grow on the legs of jakes. Mature tom spurs reach 1 inch+. Hens lack spurs entirely.
Size – At 2 years old, jakes are noticeably larger than hens but smaller than full-grown toms. They are very gangly as they grow into their adult body size.
Coloration – A jake’s coloring shows a mix of juvenile and adult feathers. The head often flushes brighter red when excited, compared to the blue head of hens.
Behavior – Jakes form small bachelor flocks away from hens through their first two summers. They practice sparring and strutting in preparation for future breeding duties.
Jake Turkey vs Hen Turkey
The female, or hen turkey, exhibits key differences compared to the jake:
- Hens lack a beard and leg spurs
- Hen heads are blue-gray, not red
- Hens are smaller with uniform fan-shaped tails
- Hens care for poults, jakes remain in bachelor flocks
Jake Turkey vs Tom Turkey
Several traits differentiate jakes from the mature gobblers:
- Tom turkeys have longer, fuller beards reaching over 8 inches long
- Toms have bright red heads, jakes’ are often still partially blue
- Tom spurs are 1 inch or longer, jakes’ spurs remain under 1⁄2 inch
- Toms tails are fully fanned; jake tails spike in the middle
- Toms are much larger-bodied than gangly jakes
When Do Jake Turkeys Reach Maturity?
Jakes reach adulthood and full gobbler status at around 2 to 3 years old. By age 2, they are physically capable of breeding but often remain in bachelor flocks, still honing their strutting skills.
At age 3, their size, coloring, and confidence reach a peak. These mature gobblers with their impressive beards, fan-shaped tails, and long spurs are ready to compete to attract hens and sire the next generation of turkeys.
Turkey Hunting Tips for Jake Identification
Here are some key tips for identifying jake turkeys while hunting:
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Focus on tail shape as a long distance identifier – a peaked jake tail is obvious.
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Look for a beard protruding from the chest – jakes’ beards are short.
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Watch for extended wings on walking birds to expose small wing spurs.
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Take note of red coloration on the head/neck as a sign of a juvenile male.
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Observe behavior – jakes are often in groups rather than with hens.
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Look for “topped-out” and pointed wing feathers rather than rounded adult wings.
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Use a turkey fan or feathers as a reference for tail length.
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Err on the side of caution and avoid shooting if uncertain.
Why Properly Identifying Jakes Matters
While jakes are legal game in many areas during spring turkey season, hunters must take care to properly identify them to avoid illegally harvesting hens or breeding toms.
Jakes offer hunters exciting opportunities to interact with vocal gobblers while helping manage turkey populations. Identifying the subtle difference between jakes, hens and toms also adds a fun challenge to spring turkey hunting.
So whether you encounter a flock of turkeys on public land, your own property, or just want to sharpen your bird identification skills, look and listen for the characteristics that set vibrant jake turkeys apart from their mature elders.
What Is a Jake Turkey?
To learn how to distinguish jakes from turkey hens, you need to be able to answer the question “What is a jake turkey?” Though jakes can look a bit like turkey hens, or females, a jake turkey is a male that has not reached sexual maturity. A baby male turkey, or a poult, becomes a jake at about one year of age. Once he reaches two years old, he is known as a tom turkey.
Jake turkeys have a few key characteristics that can help you identify them. First, they have a short beard, which is a cluster of wiry black feathers growing from the center of their chest. Next, they have distinctively longer tail feathers in the middle of their tail. When jakes raise their tail feathers to display to females or other males, the middle feathers stand out an inch or two above the rest of their tail. Finally, jakes have short spurs growing from the backs of their legs. They will eventually use these spurs to fight with other males for breeding rights over females.
The best way to tell a hen from a jake is to take a closer look at the typical characteristics of a hen turkey. Neither males nor females have feathers on their heads, and both can have some coloration of their heads and faces. However, while males have brightly colorful heads that flush red, white or blue depending on their excitement level, hens generally have dull gray or blue color on their heads. Females also do not grow the characteristic fleshy wattles on their face or neck like tom turkeys do.
Additionally, though bearded hens do exist, 95 percent of hens do not grow a beard on their chest like their male counterparts. Even rare bearded hens have short and wispy beards compared to those of males. Finally, hens do not grow spurs on their legs like jake turkeys and toms do.
How to tell a Jake from a Hen Turkey live example
FAQ
What’s the difference between a Jake and a Gobbler?
How can you tell the difference between a male and female turkey?
What does a Jake Turkey look like?
Jake turkeys typically have shorter beards, shorter spurs, and smaller bodies compared to adult toms. How can you identify a jake turkey? Look for a turkey with a long beard but underdeveloped spurs and noticeably smaller size compared to mature toms. Are jake turkeys good for Thanksgiving dinner?
Do Jake turkeys look like hens?
Jake turkeys can look a bit like hens. Jakes don’t yet have the distinctive and colorful waddles that toms sport. This can sometimes make it difficult to tell jakes and hen turkeys apart. You can use their spurs, beards and tail feathers to determine the difference between jakes and hens.
What is the difference between a Jake & a tom turkey?
Jakes typically have shorter beards that range from 3-6 inches in length while mature Tom turkeys have longer beards that can reach up to 12 inches in length, or even longer! The coloration of the beards can also vary; Jakes usually have lighter-colored feathers compared to Toms which are usually darker or reddish brown.
What is a Jake Turkey?
A jake turkey is a young male wild turkey under two years old. They’re essentially the teenage boys of the turkey world, full of energy and enthusiasm, but still lacking the experience and maturity of their older counterparts Identifying a jake turkey can be tricky, especially for novice hunters. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.