Turkeys in the wild are huge, fat birds with long legs, broad, round 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 stand tall, spread their tails out into a fan shape, and strut slowly while making a special gobbling sound. At night, these birds fly up into trees to roost in flocks.
With the holiday season upon us, turkeys take center stage on dining room tables across the country. But how much do we really know about these peculiar poultry and their plumage? Wild turkeys sport a spectacular array of feathers – up to 6,000 on a single bird! Let’s take a closer look at the fascinating feathers that adorn these iconic birds.
An Impressive Plumage
A mature turkey is decked out with between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers covering their bodies This plumage provides turkeys with insulation against the elements and allows them to take flight The feathers come in an array of shapes, lengths, colors and textures, each serving a unique purpose.
The typical feather types found on turkeys include:
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Contour feathers – These smooth, stiff feathers overlap to form a continuous surface and provide most of the turkey’s streamlined shape. They come in various lengths along the body and help regulate body temperature.
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Down feathers – Fluffy and short these feathers trap air close to the turkey’s skin for insulation against the cold. They are especially dense on the breast.
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Filoplumes – Hair-like feathers with a few barbs at the tips. They are sensory receptors that relay information to the bird about their feather position.
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Flight feathers – Long, asymmetrical feathers on the wings and tail that enable turkeys to fly short distances. They include stiff wing feathers and broad tail feathers that can fan out.
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Bristles – Stiff, hair-like feathers around the mouth and eyes They protect these sensitive areas
From the longest flight feathers to the finest filoplumes, each feather type works together to meet the turkey’s needs. The feather colors also vary strikingly – while most of the body is covered in brown and black barred or iridescent feathers, the wings sport vibrant reddish-brown plumage. The head can be blue, red or white depending on the turkey’s sex and maturity.
Fast Feather Facts
Let’s look at some fun facts about turkey feathers:
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Turkey feathers are made mostly of keratin, the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails in humans.
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The feathers are attached to the body by a short stem embedded in the skin called the calamus.
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A single wing feather can be over 1 foot long! The tail feathers are also very lengthy and make up over 20% of the total plumage.
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Male, or tom turkeys grow brightly-colored feathers during mating season to attract females. The feathers are shed afterwards.
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The feathers are perfectly distributed to maintain the turkey’s center of gravity in flight.
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Turkeys can appear black at times because their feathers reflect so little light. The low light reflection helps camouflage them.
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Feathers help regulate turkeys’ temperature. By fluffing up their feathers, turkeys can trap more insulating air against their bodies.
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Turkeys grow new feathers throughout the year during the molting process as old feathers drop out.
From Fuzzy Poults to Fabulous Toms
Turkey feathers go through some remarkable transformations as the birds mature. Let’s track the feather changes across the turkey lifecycle:
Poults
Turkey chicks hatch out fully covered in a light, downy fuzz. They have thousands of downy body feathers for warmth and short wing feathers for balancing. Their coloring provides camouflage from predators.
Juveniles
At around 4 weeks old, the first layer of flight and tail feathers starts growing in. The feathers increase in number and length as juvenile turkeys develop. At 16-20 weeks old, the young males (jakes) and females (jennys) resemble adult plumage but are still smaller with shorter tail feathers.
Adults
A turkey is not considered fully mature until about 1 year old. At this point, they reach their peak feather count of 5,000 to 6,000. The tail feathers, wing feathers and decorative feathers on males are now complete. The hen’s feathers remain generally brown and black, while the tom grows colorful feathers for mating displays. His head turns brilliant red, white and blue!
Elders
As turkeys surpass 2-3 years of age, their total feather count declines. However, the remaining feathers increase in length and width. Large, robust feathers indicate an older bird.
By exploring the life cycle and diversity of turkey plumage, we gain appreciation for these birds beyond the dinner table. Those feathers that keep turkeys healthy in the wild can also make a festive centerpiece on special occasions when each family gathers to give thanks and enjoy one another. And maybe now kids will think twice before assuming turkeys can’t fly!
How many feathers does a Turkey have?
A Turkey’s body possesses 5,000 to 6,000 feathers and grows in patterns called feather tracts or pterylae. Wings have ten primary feathers and 17 or 18 secondary feathers. The bird’s tail has an average of 18 large quill feathers.
Turkey feathers have eight shapes that help body covering, flight, display, insulation, waterproofing, protection, and recognition.
Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Rio Grande Wild Turkeys (M. g. intermedia) exist in the south-central plains states and north-eastern Mexico; initially reported in 1879 by George B. Sennett.
Gould’s Wild Turkey (M. g. Mexicana) lives in parts of southern Arizona, northwest Mexico, and New Mexico. It is the most widespread subspecies and is in danger of going extinct.
How many tail feathers does a mature turkey have?
FAQ
How many feathers are on a full grown turkey?
How many feathers does a turkey fan have?
What does it mean when a turkey spreads its feathers?
What age are turkeys fully feathered?
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.
Do turkeys have a single feather length?
Like all birds, turkeys don’t have a singular feather length. That’s because they have multiple feather types that not only help them fly but provide a dense insulating layer that keeps them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
How long are turkey wing feathers?
The average lengths typical of these four differing feather types are for female turkeys, as male turkeys have slightly shorter feathers: Wild turkey primary wing feathers can be 24-36 cm (9-14 inches) long. Image courtesy of fws.gov Body Feathers: Body feathers are the shortest on a turkey to provide a denser layer of insulation.
What do turkey tail feathers look like?
They’re about the same overall size as primary feathers but a bit wider. They’re also shorter and have slightly different stripe patterns. The colors include large black patches alternating with white and even brownish-orange tones. These give the turkey its dense color design. Female wild turkey tail feathers.
How long is a turkey tail father?
Secondary Wing Feathers: These feathers range between 20 and 28 centimeters, which is about 8-11 inches, with varying lengths between these averages. Tail Feathers: A turkey’s tail father can vary in length from just under 28 centimeters to over 32 centimeters. That is just over 11 inches to around 12.5 inches.
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.