The wild turkey is a bird species whose identification relies heavily on specific terminology that distinguishes individuals by both sex and age. This precise nomenclature helps biologists, conservationists, and enthusiasts accurately categorize the birds they observe. The standard names for turkeys are based on whether the bird is a mature male, a mature female, or a juvenile of either sex.
Names for the Adult Male Turkey
The mature male turkey is known by the common name “Tom”. Another frequently used name is “Gobbler,” which is derived directly from the loud, resonant vocalization the male uses to attract females and assert dominance. Toms are substantially larger than their female counterparts, often weighing between 15 and 25 pounds, and their plumage is darker, displaying a distinct iridescent bronze or metallic sheen in sunlight.
Physical features on the tom’s head and neck are highly visible during courtship displays. The head is largely featherless and can rapidly change color to bright shades of red, white, and blue. Males possess a fleshy, elongated protuberance hanging over the beak called the snood, which is noticeably longer and more prominent than the female’s.
A defining characteristic of the adult male is the “beard,” a cluster of coarse, bristle-like modified feathers growing from the center of the chest. A longer beard is generally an indicator of an older bird. Toms possess sharp, bony spikes known as spurs on the back of their legs, which they use for defense and fighting other males.
Names for the Adult Female Turkey
The mature female turkey is called a “Hen”. Hens are significantly smaller and lighter than toms, typically weighing around 10 pounds. Their feathering is generally more subdued and bronze-colored, which serves as camouflage while they are nesting and raising young.
The head of a hen is less colorful than a tom’s, often appearing blue or gray, and the snood is much smaller and less noticeable. Unlike the male’s distinct gobble, the hen’s primary vocalization consists of softer clucks and yelps.
Hens rarely possess the defining male features of spurs and a long beard, although a small percentage of females may develop a short beard. Their main role involves egg-laying and raising the young, and they do not participate in the elaborate strutting displays used by the males.
Terminology for Young Turkeys
All baby turkeys, regardless of sex, are initially called “Poults”. This term is used from hatching until the birds are old enough to be identified as juveniles.
A young male turkey is called a “Jake,” and a young female is known as a “Jenny”. These juvenile names are typically used until the birds are approximately one year old, when they fully mature into Toms or Hens. Identifying Jakes and Jennys is often done by examining their tail feathers.
A Jake’s tail fan is uneven, with the central tail feathers being visibly longer than the outer ones, unlike the fully developed, even tail fan of a mature Tom. A Jake also has a very short beard, often described as stubble, and his spurs are present but appear as small, rounded bumps rather than the sharp points of an adult. Jennys are essentially smaller versions of the adult Hen.