Around the Thanksgiving holiday, a lot of decorations and advertisements feature a similar of a turkey: It’s often a big male turkey, all puffed out and in full strut. And we all know that turkey’s saying “gobble gobble.”
If you were lucky enough to see a turkey in the wild on Thanksgiving Day, there’s little chance it would be puffed up and strutting, nor would it be gobbling. Those are primarily the spring breeding displays of male wild turkeys.
In the fall, wild turkeys behave quite differently. So how do wild turkeys spend Thanksgiving Day? Here’s a look at their fascinating behavior during autumn.
Wild turkeys are highly social birds that spend most of their time together in flocks. So when we see a female hen turkey wandering solo it often raises the question – why is she alone?
There are a few natural reasons a wild hen turkey may stray from the flock and go it alone temporarily. Understanding typical turkey behavior helps explain this occasional solitude.
Seasonal Flock Changes Lead to More Solitary Hens
Wild turkey flocks are not static groups that stay the same year-round As seasons change, the makeup of flocks evolves in response to shifting needs and life cycles
In spring, mature hens depart winter flocks to find secluded nesting sites where they can safely incubate eggs. Meanwhile, adult male turkeys break away to establish breeding territories during mating season.
When poults hatch, mother hens keep them isolated from the main flock for several weeks to focus on rearing offspring through the summer. Come fall, hen groups with poults rejoin bigger mixed flocks for added winter protection.
So a lone hen may simply be transitioning between seasonal flock arrangements, likely never far from the wider group’s range.
Nesting Hens Seek Privacy
One of the most common reasons wild turkey hens are spotted alone is that sitting on a nest requires extensive privacy.
Hens will discreetly separate from the flock for several weeks when ready to lay eggs. They search for hidden nesting sites in vegetation that conceal them from predators during incubation.
While not interacting with the main group, nesting hens remain nearby, usually within 200 yards of other turkeys. But fulfilling their maternal nesting duties mandates hen turkeys spend most of their time alone.
Mother Hens Isolate Poults After Hatching
In the weeks after poults hatch, wild hen turkeys continue to remain apart from the flock to nurture offspring.
Newly hatched poults are vulnerable, so mother hens isolate them to avoid flock disruptions and limit encounters with predators. They also teach poults vital survival skills like feeding, water sources and roosting sites.
A hen followed solely by her young may appear “lone” when viewed from afar. In reality, she is accompanied by poults and likely never too far from the wider flock.
Some Hens Are Natural Loners
While extremely social overall, personality plays a role for turkeys as it does for any animal. Some hens seem to choose solitude and roam independently for long periods rather than always flocking up.
As long as they can find sufficient food and water on their own, their solitary status may simply be a lifestyle preference rather than concerning issue for these more introverted hens.
Signs a Lone Hen Needs Help
Though temporary solitude is normal, extended isolation or signs of distress may mean a solitary hen needs assistance. Here are some red flags:
-
Inability to fly/walk properly
-
Obvious injury or illness
-
No flock companions for multiple seasons
-
Emaciated or lethargic
-
Repeatedly approaching buildings or people
-
Making loud, frequent distress calls
If a hen displays these behaviors, notifying wildlife authorities to evaluate her condition may be warranted. They can decide if rehabilitation or relocation is required.
Appreciating the Chance to Observe a Lone Hen
Crossing paths with a solo wild hen turkey creates a special chance to quietly observe her natural behaviors. When not absorbed in a flock, her unique personality quirks and mannerisms become more apparent.
Whether cautiously leading poults or foraging with alert awareness, even brief encounters with a lone hen allow us to gain new admiration for these normally social birds.
So while most solitary wild turkey hens are simply exhibiting typical seasonal behaviors, keep watch for any that may need a helping hand. By understanding a hen’s occasional need for solitude, we can better appreciate her when she’s on her own.
Turkeys of a Feather…Flock Together
My first wild turkey sighting came on a late fall day in the mid-80s, when I was deer hunting with my dad. We were about ready to call it a day, looking down into a wooded hollow in Central Pennsylvania. Suddenly, a line of dark forms appeared, moving slowly through the woods, stopping and looking every few steps.
At the time, turkeys were still a rare sight in our part of the state. (In fact, many friends and relatives doubted our story). I recall how big, how beautiful, they looked moving through the hardwoods. But what I mostly remember is how quiet they were. Leaves had piled on the forest floor, loud and crunchy. A lone squirrel sounded like a snowplow when it jumped around. But these turkeys scarcely made a sound.
I’d later learn this silence was actually unusual. A flock of turkeys in the fall can be extremely noisy while calling and scratching. On that day, the first day of Pennsylvania’s popular deer season, the woods were full of people, and the turkeys were stealthy and alert.
As a hunter and naturalist, this encounter launched a lifelong interest in wild turkeys. I’ve spent a lot of time observing them. I’ve seen plenty of gobbling and strutting in the spring. I’ve seen turkeys mating, fighting, feeding, roosting and tending chicks. Their spring behavior gets all the attention, but I always find a special thrill watching them in the autumn.
The first thing to understand about fall turkey behavior is the social structure of flocks. Basically, turkeys of a feather flock together. Hen turkeys live in flocks with their female offspring. Oftentimes, several hens and their offspring will combine flocks, so it’s quite common to see 50 or more birds together. The Cornell Lab or Ornithology reports that some winter flocks can consist of 200 turkeys. Hens that were not successful hatching chicks may form smaller flocks with similar lone hens.
Male turkeys form their own flocks. Depending on population size, these too might be segregated by age classes. Young male turkeys, commonly called jakes, band together, and older males form their own groups.
All these turkey flocks will likely be located in different parts of a forest. They don’t interact much at this time of year.
They do interact with each other within a flock. At this time of year, turkeys are always with the flock and call constantly each other to ensure they’re close by. They feed and call, feed and call. These calls are all quite soft, but you can often hear them in the hardwoods if you listen closely.
Say you’re out for a hike and you stumble into a flock of turkeys. They’ll run and fly in every direction. But within minutes, they’ll begin calling. Loudly. Hens make a harsher yelp, while young chicks give a higher-pitched call, often referred to as the kee-kee.
What will be on your Thanksgiving table?
They will call to each other until the flock is reassembled. This may suggest an idyllic picture of a fall turkey flock, but let’s not get anthropomorphic. An important aspect of flock life is establishing dominance. Both male and female turkey flocks in the fall are full of squabbles, dominance displays and even fights – all establishing who is at the top of the pecking order. This is important in determining breeding rank come spring.
Occasionally, you will even hear a particularly aggressive male turkey let out a full-throated gobble. This is again establishing dominance, but it’s far less common than in the spring, when male turkeys gobble loudly and frequently.
Can Turkeys & Chickens Live Together?
FAQ
Is it normal for female turkeys to be alone?
Turkeys are not solitary birds.
What does a lone turkey hen mean?
Sure, it is possible that the hen has a nest nearby and is simply out feeding. But most of the nesting should be done by now. A more dire suggestion is that the unusually persistent rains and cold nights have killed the majority of the poults, who are vulnerable at this time of year.
What does it mean when you see a single turkey?
Even without the sides and dressing, turkey symbolism is generally used to indicate prosperity and harvest. As such, the turkey encourages people to count their blessings and respect the nourishment offered by the earth.
Can one turkey live alone?
Turkeys are a very social species. A single bird doesn’t do well alone and will attach to another species in close proximity. However, a mixed flock of turkeys and chickens isn’t a good idea.
Are female wild turkeys lone hens?
Female wild turkeys are known as hens, and you might encounter one or more lone hens during the breeding season. Usually, mother hens separate themselves from other flock members to locate safe spots to lay their eggs. During nesting, the behavior of female wild turkeys dramatically changes.
Why does my turkey hen avoid other hens?
When a turkey hen starts looking for a nest site she will avoid all other hens. Once a site is selected, this behavior continues to occur in an area of a half mile around the selected nesting site. However, when she is further out from the nest the hen will associate with other turkeys.
Why does my lone Turkey leave the flock?
An alpha male with the highest rank might force any omega turkey to leave the flock during a mating season. Your lone turkey could be one of those omega turkeys who are casted-away from the flock by an alpha male because he doesn’t want competition around him.
How do male turkeys attract female turkeys?
Male turkeys produce gobbling sounds (calls) to attract female turkeys. Male turkeys frequently court female turkeys in a group led by a dominant and highest-ranked wild turkey. Interestingly, in a single flock of wild turkeys, one matured tom (alpha) can rule over a harem of females.
Do turkeys of a feather flock together?
As mentioned earlier, turkeys of a feather flock together. A wild turkey is a bird that lives with his/her other peers for survival and safety. They live in groups that have a pecking order. Wild turkeys have a basic social organization known as a pecking order.
Why do turkeys fight each other?
Generally, most flocks consist of siblings units that have been raised together by one or more female mother turkeys. Young siblings challenge and fight each other so they can determine their social rank or pecking order. Wild turkeys often fight with other group members to maintain their social rank and show dominance.