Wild Turkey: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Show-offs · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. A wild turkey's gobble can be heard up to about 1.6 km away.
2. A wild turkey's beard grows continuously, up to 13 cm in a one-year-old male. About 10 % of females grow a shorter one.
3. When a male gets excited, blood rushes to his head: the snood, wattles and bare skin turn red. Head colour also changes with mood.
4. Despite their weight, wild turkeys are agile, fast fliers. They usually fly low, for no more than 400 m at a time.
5. The heaviest wild turkey tom on record weighed 17.06 kg. Most adult males weigh 5 to 11 kg.

The quiz

1. How far away can a wild turkey's gobble be heard?

• About 15 m
• Up to about 1.6 km (correct)
• About 100 m
• More than 15 km

The gobble can be heard up to about 1.6 km away.

2. About what share of females develop a beard?

• About 10 % (correct)
• About 1 %
• About 50 %
• About 90 %

About 10 % of females develop a shorter beard.

3. What makes a male turkey's snood and wattles turn red?

• Cold weather
• Eating red berries
• Shedding his feathers
• Extra blood flowing to his head (correct)

When he is excited, more blood flows to his head and the bare parts turn red.

4. How far does a wild turkey usually fly at a time?

• About 40 km
• No more than 400 m (correct)
• About 10 km
• Over 100 km

They usually fly low, for no more than 400 m.

5. What was the weight of the record-size wild turkey tom?

• 7.6 kg
• 17.06 kg (correct)
• 4.26 kg
• 37.6 kg

The record-size tom weighed 17.06 kg.

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