Turkeys are remarkable birds recognized for their impressive plumage. But have you ever wondered exactly how many feathers adorn the body of a full grown turkey? In this article, we’ll examine turkey feathers in detail and reveal the approximate number found on an adult
An Overview of Turkey Feathers
Turkeys have different types of feathers that each serve a specific purpose. Here’s a quick rundown of the various feather classifications found on turkeys:
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Contour Feathers – These smooth, stiff feathers cover the body and define the turkey’s shape and size. They include wing and tail feathers.
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Down Feathers – Soft and fluffy, these feathers are closest to the skin and help insulate the turkey.
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Filoplumes – Tiny hair-like feathers with sensory receptors They help sense changes around the turkey
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Bristles – Stiff, hair-like feathers around the head and neck that protect the skin.
Each feather has a central shaft with smaller barbs extending out The barbs have even smaller hooks that zip them together This gives feathers flexibility and cohesion.
Total Feather Count for an Adult Turkey
An adult turkey has between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers in total. This number varies slightly between male (toms) and female (hens) turkeys:
- Hens – 5,000 to 5,500 feathers
- Toms – 5,500 to 6,000 feathers
Toms generally have more feathers than hens. They also sport longer wing and tail feathers for mating displays.
Where are the Feathers Located?
The highest concentration of feathers is found on the back, breast and wings. The approximate counts per body part are:
- Back – 1,100 feathers
- Breast – 1,000 feathers
- Wings – 650 feathers (combined)
- Tail – 150 to 200 feathers
The head and neck contain around 500 feathers. Each thigh and leg holds between 800 to 900 feathers.
Down feathers make up about 90% of the total plumage. They densely pack under the contour feathers near the skin for insulation.
The Life Cycle of Turkey Feathers
Turkey feathers follow a cycle of growth, replacement and shedding:
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Growth – Feathers start forming as embryos and more emerge as poults mature.
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Maturity – Feathers reach maximum size at 12-24 weeks. Coloration also becomes more defined.
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Replacement – Old feathers periodically shed and new ones take their place. Hens replace feathers 2-3 times per year.
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Molting – Periodic shedding influenced by light exposure, usually in spring and fall.
During peak growth, young turkeys can sprout 300 feathers daily! Adults replace about 10% of feathers during annual molting before winter.
Why So Many Feathers?
The turkey’s elaborate plumage provides:
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Thermoregulation – Insulation to retain body heat across seasons.
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Protection – Dense feathers protect skin from weather and injury.
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Camouflage – Feather patterns and colors allow blending into surroundings.
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Display – Colorful feathers used in mating displays.
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Flight – Wing feathers enable short distance flying.
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Sensory – Head feathers detect air pressure changes and sound.
The huge feather coverage gives turkeys the insulation, protection, sensory capabilities and visual signals needed to thrive in their environments.
Fun Facts About Turkey Feathers
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Turkey feathers were used in Native American rituals and headdresses.
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Feather quill pens often came from turkeys.
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Feather dusters are still made from turkey wing feathers.
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Male turkeys display feathers by fanning their tails and dragging wings during courtship.
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Turkeys can lift or lower feathers to regulate temperature.
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Each turkey’s feather pattern is unique like a fingerprint.
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There are tiny muscles connected to feather follicles that raise/lower them.
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Turkeys have an oil gland that waterproofs their feathers.
In the wild turkey world, grooming is a collection of behaviors called preening. They include dusting, sunning, anting, feather preening and stretching. These are especially vital to a turkey’s health and survival. They’re also critical to maintaining a gobbler’s stunning appearance, which fills a turkey hunter’s dreams.
Humans practice daily grooming rituals to look our best and stay healthy — showering, shaving, brushing teeth, styling hair, applying makeup and wearing fashionable duds or dress. My mother called it primping.
In the wild turkey world, grooming is a collection of behaviors called preening. They include dusting, sunning, anting, feather preening and stretching. These are especially vital to a turkey’s health and survival. They’re also critical to maintaining a gobbler’s stunning appearance, which fills a turkey hunter’s dreams.
Preening behaviors comprise a significant part of the turkey’s daily routine, second in time only to feeding. Most folks who have observed turkeys know their general routine. From the time a turkey’s feet touch the ground at flydown, it walks, talks, feeds, grooms, competes for dominance, mates, waters and loafs until it lifts toward a roost tree at day’s end.
Here’s more detail on a turkey’s daily grooming rituals and tips on how to apply them to a hunting strategy.
Dust bathing is a common bird behavior, especially with birds that spend most of their time on the ground, such as turkeys. It’s a flock activity that occurs throughout the day and between periods of feeding. Dusting can be comical to watch, as the bird crouches or lies on its side and flaps its wings wildly, effectively coating its body in dirt. Turkeys might dust at a favored spot repeatedly, which creates a bowl-like depression. Dusting precedes sunning and preening. Barely out of the shell, poults instinctively begin dusting at about 2 to 4 days old.
As with humans and their bathing habits, some turkeys might dust-bathe quickly, but others leisurely flop and toss dirt for longer periods, seeming to take much enjoyment in the exercise. I witnessed a young hen fly down from the roost, land in a food plot and immediately begin dusting. The hen was in the dust bowl for almost 30 minutes and appeared to doze off several times. The boss hen finally approached and, with several sharp head pecks, ousted the hen from her dusty reverie.
Dusting helps maintain plumage in a fluffy condition by removing the buildup of material on feathers, such as old secretions from the preen gland (uropygial gland). More on that later. Fine dust also can clog tiny breathing pores on the bodies of lice and other parasites that chew on feathers and suck blood.
Turkeys don’t always shake upon rising from a dust bath. I was once reminded of the perpetually dirty Peanuts character Pig Pen while photographing a hen dusting. She stood after a lengthy session but didn’t shake. Instead, she plucked clover in a small area for a half-hour and then walked the edge of a long field and out of sight, a small dust cloud billowing behind each step.
Sunning is an important step in a turkey’s daily grooming regimen. It usually follows a dust bath and precedes feather preening. SuNning is less commonly observed and might be confusing to those unfamiliar with turkey behavior. At first glance, a prostrate turkey soaking up the sun can appear sick or wounded. The bird typically lies on one side with the upward wing and leg extended and exposed to direct sunlight. For older readers, visualize a famous Mae West lounging pose. Other birds might simply crouch on the ground.
The behavior serves several purposes: absorbing heat for regulating body temperature, sustaining feather health and dislodging feather parasites. One theory suggests that parasites might be killed or forced to move away from inaccessible parts of the body to more accessible areas where they can be eliminated through feather preening. Sunlight also can kill feather-degrading bacteria. Sunning makes oil from the preen gland more liquid and easier to spread over the feathers.
Turkeys also use sunlight to remove moisture. Birds naturally congregate in open areas away from dripping trees after a rainy period. This also exposes them to sunlight and expedites the drying process. You might see birds with their wings slightly open to facilitate drying. Severe storms can damage feathers or blow them out of place. Extended feather preening is often necessary. A wet, windblown turkey is at a disadvantage to fly, making it more vulnerable to predators.
American ornithologist John James Audubon gave the earliest known description of this peculiar behavior in 1831. He described young turkeys as “wallowing” in anthills. Anting appears to be widespread and common but isn’t readily observed because it’s assumed the bird is dusting. Consequently, most current research on the behavior is performed in laboratories. More than 200 species of birds worldwide have been observed anting. Most are songbirds. However, ground-dwelling game birds such as turkeys and northern bobwhite quail also engage in anting.
Anting occurs in two ways: active and passive. Blue jays, for example, use ants actively by capturing, crushing and rubbing them on their skin or feathers. Turkeys passively ant. The bird crouches atop an ant mound and might rub its wings and tail on it, allowing the disturbed ants to crawl over its body.
What is the function of anting? Biologists have debated several theories for years. Each is based on the fact that only 24 species of ants are used in anting. All contain high levels of formic acid. Some suggest the anting process distributes formic acid, which is believed to help inhibit parasites such as feather mites and biting lice. A widely held theory holds that birds use ants to soothe irritated skin. Anting is more common in late summer and early fall, the period of heavy feather molting, when skin is irritated during rapid feather replacement. Birds smear ants on their skin and feathers where new feathers are growing. Formic acid feels hot to the touch and penetrates the skin easily. In theory, the acid might soothe the bird’s irritated skin.
Preening is how a bird grooms its feathers to maintain them in optimal condition. Most birds feather preen multiple times daily to remove dirt, dust and parasites and align each feather in the best position relative to adjacent feathers and body shape. As mentioned, dusting, sunning and anting are part of the overall preening process. Think of them as pretreatments that prepare the feathers for preening.
Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers cover a turkey’s body and grow in patterns called feather tracts, or pterylae. The tail has an average of 18 long quill feathers. Wings have 10 primary feathers and 18 or 19 secondary feathers. Turkey feathers have eight shapes that assist in body covering, insulation, waterproofing, flight, display, protection and recognition. No wonder they spend so much time preening.
Feather preening has two functions: First, it ensures the durability of the layer of contour feathers, which must be correctly aligned, with all interlocking barbules in place. Also, it distributes uropygial (preen) gland secretions onto the skin and feathers.
What is the uropygial gland? (See the lead photo.) Located at the base of the tail, it secretes an oily, waxy substance made of primarily fatty acids that helps keep feathers flexible and waterproof. Birds spread the oil using their bill to each feather until they are evenly coated.
Preening behaviors serve vital roles for turkeys:
- Feathers moisturized with preen oil are strong, flexible and better able to withstand the stress of flight.
- Feathers aligned for optimum waterproofing and insulation protect the bird against adverse conditions, such as extreme temperatures and soaking.
- Feathers aligned into their most aerodynamic shape make for more efficient flight, thus less energy is required.
- Feather parasite and body lice removal protects feathers and lessens disease outbreaks in the flock or nest.
- During feather molting and regrowth, preening removes tough sheaths from newly molted feathers and helps put them in the proper position more quickly.
- Preening creates a healthier, more attractive appearance for attracting a mate.
Leg and wing stretching appears mainly to loosen and flex muscles in preparation for flight. However, stretching is also observed as part of the preening process. This stretching behavior likely helps provide space between each feather so each can be stroked and groomed effectively. Preening requires a bird to assume various positions. Stretching and feather fluffing helps align all the feathers after a section has been preened.
How many feathers does a turkey have?
FAQ
How many feathers are on a full grown turkey?
According to the National Turkey Federation, it’s estimated that turkeys have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
What are 5 interesting facts about turkeys?
- Turkeys are fast. …
- They roost in trees at night. …
- Turkeys are large. …
- Wild turkeys are omnivorous. …
- Their distinctive features help to express emotion. …
- An adult turkey has 5,000 – 6,000 feathers. …
- Turkeys were once threatened with extinction. …
- Turkeys have a better known fossil record than most birds.
How many feathers are in a turkeys fan?
Fan. A turkey’s fan is a prominent feature you’ll see when a tom struts. Made up of 18 tail feathers 12 to 15 inches long, toms display the fans to attract females during the breeding season.
What is a mature turkey?
ADULTS have rounded feathers with white barring to tip. JUVENILES have narrow pointed feathers with no white bars on the last 2 inches. SPUR – spurs grow as the turkey gets older. Generally the longer the spur, the older the bird.
How many feathers do turkeys have?
The number of larger middle feathers in a turkey’s tail ranges from 4 to sometimes 10. The feathers on a Jake (Juvenile Tom) Eastern turkey will have cinnamon to chocolate brown tipped feathers, while the Rio Grande sub-species tail fan will be accented with caramel to sometimes blonde tips.
Do male and female turkeys have the same number of feathers?
Yes, both male and female turkeys have approximately the same number of feathers, although the males’ display feathers can be longer and more extravagant. 12.
What do turkey feathers look like?
Each turkey feather is unique, boasting vibrant shades of browns, blacks, and iridescent greens. They are essential for the bird’s survival, aiding in flight, insulation, and camouflage while perched on the forest floor. Interestingly, a turkey’s feathers are not limited to its body alone.
How many tail feathers do you need to make a Turkey?
Seven tail feathers should work well on your turkey. 7. Next, you will trace the body parts of the turkey using the free printable template. Trace the body and the wings on brown cardstock, unless you want to use white cardstock and have your kids color the turkey.
How do turkeys develop their feathers?
Turkeys develop their feathers through molting, a natural process in which old and worn-out feathers are replaced by new ones. 4. What purpose do turkeys’ feathers serve?
Do turkeys shed their feathers?
No, turkeys shed their feathers gradually to ensure they maintain sufficient coverage at all times. This incremental shedding allows them to fly, display, and stay protected during the molting process. In conclusion, a mature turkey flaunts an astonishing array of approximately 5,000 feathers.