Ever wondered what the heck a “gobbler” is? Well, wonder no more, my curious friend! In the fascinating world of turkeys, males go by a few different names, each with its own unique charm and history.
The Mighty Gobbler:
The most common name for a male turkey is of course, the “gobbler.” This moniker comes from the iconic sound these birds make a loud, booming call that echoes through the forest and announces their presence to the world.
The Young Jake:
A younger male turkey, still in its adolescent phase, is called a “jake.” These youngsters are full of energy and often strut their stuff, trying to impress the ladies (or at least, that’s what they think they’re doing).
Other Feathery Nicknames:
While “gobbler” and “jake” are the most widely used names, there are a few other, less common terms for male turkeys. These include:
- Tom: This one is pretty straightforward, simply referring to the male turkey as a “gentleman.”
- Cock: This term is more common in the UK and other parts of Europe.
- Stag: This one sounds a bit more majestic, evoking images of a proud stag with its impressive antlers.
Bonus Round: Turkey Trivia
- Did you know that male turkeys can grow to be quite large? Gobblers can weigh up to 22 pounds, while hens typically weigh around 10 pounds.
- Those impressive tail feathers, known as the “fan,” are actually used to attract mates. The males puff up their fans and strut around, trying to outdo each other in a dazzling display of plumage.
- Gobblers are known for their loud gobbling calls, which can be heard for miles. These calls are used to communicate with other turkeys, warn of danger, and attract mates.
So there you have it, folks! The next time you hear a gobble in the woods, you’ll know it’s not just any turkey, but a mighty male with a whole lot of personality.
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 red, featherless head that can occasionally be colored blue and white. They also have noticeable wattles and red, fleshy growths on their necks called caruncles. They also have a “beard”—a tuft of black, hair-like strands—protruding from their chest.
The beard on mature gobblers, also known as toms, can grow to be 7-9 inches long or longer, but on juvenile gobblers, also known as jakes, the beard is 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. Their heads have a more blue-gray appearance, and the feathers frequently extend 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?
Two of the gobblers were jakes; observe the larger size, less feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard sticking out of the right jake’s chest. Four of the hens were hens; one was mostly concealed behind a jake, but the typical hen turkey’s head was still clearly visible. One unknown Given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown. If we were here in person, the birds would move around and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake.
Because they have to grow quickly to avoid being eaten, pouts experience rapid changes in body size, appearance, and feather types as they get older. 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. Puppies that are no older than a week or so are tiny and still covered in downy feathers. They look like little puff balls about the size of your fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Although the wing feathers on this class of poults have grown longer, they still have downy feathers covering most of their bodies and no long tail feathers. They are about 6-10 inches tall, similar in size to a Blue Jay. They appear to be entirely wingless, which is advantageous since it allows them to fly into low trees to avoid being eaten by ground predators. The older chicks in this age group will still have short tail feathers but will have begun to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies.
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. Early in this stage, the neck and head of the poults still have some down feathers, but the rest of their body is covered in juvenile-type contour feathers. They are about 10 to 12 inches tall, about the size of a crow or chicken, and they are starting to show off their tail feathers and black-and-white barred wing feathers. By the time they are 8 weeks old, poults have mixed juvenile and adult feathers on their bodies and are starting to grow new, “adult”-looking body feathers. They are currently about half the size of the hen and will grow until the end of the summer to nearly equal the hen’s size. Turkey Poults.
Late in the summer, because they are so similar in size, it can be very difficult to distinguish between a flock of hens without poults and a hen and her older age class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
Do You Know Why a Male Turkey Gobbles?
FAQ
Is a male turkey called a tom?
What is the male name for a turkey?
Is a male turkey a stag?
What is the male parent turkey?
How do male and female turkeys differ?
Male and female turkeys have distinct physical characteristics based on their gender, showing what’s called sexual dimorphism. Below are the main physical traits that help tell them apart. Male turkeys are generally larger than hens, typically measuring around 39 to 49 inches in length.
What is a domestic turkey called?
The typical domestic variety on farms originated from wild turkeys. Six subspecies of wild turkeys exist, with at least one subspecies in every state of the United States except for Alaska. Mexico boasts the ocellated turkey. Turkey males are called toms or gobblers, and females are called hens.
Are domestic turkeys male or female?
Domestic turkeys are generally raised for meat, as breeders, or kept as pets. Unlike wild turkeys, male and female domestic turkeys generally have very similar coloring, especially when they are babies. Like wild turkeys, male domestic turkeys are significantly larger than females.
How do you know if a Turkey is male or female?
Turkeys, famed for their great size and native North American origin, can be easily distinguished by gender when they reach maturity. Females, or hens, are smaller and duller in color, with less prominent body features. Males boast a huge fanning tail, “beard” feathers and prominent appendages.