Female turkeys, or hens, are vocal birds that use a diverse range of sounds to communicate. These vocalizations serve specific functions, allowing hens to interact with other turkeys and respond to various situations. Understanding these sounds offers insight into their social behaviors.
Common Female Turkey Vocalizations
The yelp is a primary vocalization for female turkeys, heard in various forms. A plain yelp consists of a series of single notes, announcing a turkey’s presence and encouraging others to approach. The tree yelp is a softer, muffled yelp made while birds are on the roost, serving as a morning greeting.
Hens also use a cluck, a short, staccato note. This sound helps a hen get the attention of another bird or signal to an approaching male. When feeding or at ease, hens produce a soft, rolling purr. This purr signals contentment and safety within the flock.
The putt is a sharp note, primarily used as an alarm call when hens sense immediate danger. This warns other turkeys, particularly their young, of potential threats. Hens also produce a cackle, involving loud, staccato notes that increase in pitch. This vocalization is associated with flying down from or up to a roost.
Excited hens produce a cutting sound, characterized by loud, sharp clucks mixed with yelping. Cutting indicates excitement and is used to elicit a response from other turkeys. The assembly yelp is a series of loud, emphatic yelps used by a hen to gather her flock or young poults when scattered.
The Purpose of Hen Calls
Female turkey calls serve multiple communicative functions for social cohesion and survival. Many vocalizations, such as clucks and purrs, help maintain contact and signal contentment among flock members, particularly when feeding. These soft sounds reassure other turkeys that their surroundings are safe.
Hens also use specific calls to attract mates during breeding season. The plain yelp, for instance, communicates a hen’s location and readiness to interact with male turkeys. When a hen is agitated or seeking companionship, she might use a loud cutting sound to draw in a tom.
Communication with their young, known as poults, is another important function. Mother turkeys use cluck and purr sounds to talk to their unhatched eggs, offering reassurance. Once hatched, the assembly yelp gathers dispersed poults back to the group. When a hen senses a threat, her sharp putt alerts her offspring and other flock members to danger.
Distinguishing Female and Male Turkey Sounds
While both male and female turkeys are vocal, their primary sounds often differ in character and purpose. The most widely recognized male turkey vocalization is the gobble, a loud, rapid, gurgling sound used primarily by toms to attract hens and assert their presence during the spring breeding season. This distinct call is typically a male’s way of announcing his location over long distances.
Female turkey sounds, in contrast, are generally less loud and less resonant than the male gobble. While hens can occasionally gobble, their vocalizations are usually characterized by varied pitches, tones, and complexities rather than a single, booming call. Hen yelps, for example, are typically softer and less drawn-out compared to a tom’s yelp. The diverse range of clucks, purrs, putts, and cackles made by hens forms a more nuanced communication system focused on flock interaction, signaling contentment, warning of danger, and guiding their young.