Determining the sex of turkeys becomes easier with practice. There are several characteristics you can observe to distinguish males from females, but some require closer observation than others. Furthermore, young males have not yet developed certain physical characteristics that are noticeable in adults and could therefore create some confusion. For this reason, it is therefore advisable to determine the age of the animal when you want to define its sex.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: from Away
Step 1. Compare your build
The males are larger than the females; if you are observing a group of these birds, you should notice that the males are visibly larger than any female in the vicinity.
- Usually, adult males weigh between 7 and 10 kg, while adult females can weigh 3.5-4.5 kg.
- However, it may be difficult to gauge the size of the turkey from a distance, especially if it is isolated or if the flock is scattered on uneven ground; therefore, using only this method to define the sex of the bird is rarely a valid criterion. However, it can be a good way to confirm the type when other characteristics have already been identified.
Step 2. Look at the "beard"
The adult male has a tuft of different feathers on his chest, known as a "beard", which is not present in females.
- This plumage appears to be made up of hairs, but is actually made up of particular feathers that consist of stiff bristles.
- Keep in mind that even 10-20% of females have hair, therefore, even in this case, only this method does not always allow to recognize the sex with certainty.
- Don't confuse fluff with caruncles or bumps. The former consist of a fleshy growth on the top of the head, while the bump is a fleshy, erectile mass that develops over the bird's beak. Such elements are present in both genders, although the prominence of an adult male is usually larger than that of the female.
Step 3. Check the top of the head
Females have small feathers that extend above the skull, while most males have fully plucked heads.
- Furthermore, the male's head can change color depending on the level of arousal of the moment, especially during the mating season; it can go from red to blue to white and this change occurs in seconds.
- Note that in females it is often possible to see the bluish-gray flesh visible under the thin layer of head feathers.
Step 4. Evaluate the coloring in general
The male has a brighter plumage, while the female's feathers have a more faded and dull appearance.
- Specifically, the male's plumage has iridescent colors, such as red, green, copper, bronze or even shiny gold. The male uses his showy livery to attract the female during the mating season; the more vivid the colors are, the greater the chances of success.
- The female has brown or gray plumage, devoid of iridescence. The task of attracting the partner rests with the male of the turkey; this is why it is not necessary for the female's plumage to have equally bright colors. Furthermore, the uniform color of the females is useful to blend in with the surrounding environment, in order to be able to hatch and protect the nest more safely.
Step 5. Look at the tail
It often happens that the male lifts it making it assume a fan shape; that of the females, on the other hand, remains low and does not take this form.
Opening the fan tail is a gesture of domination. Generally, males open it when they want to attract a mate or when they try to scare away potential threats
Step 6. Observe the presence of the spurs in the legs
The legs of the male are equipped with a spur, that is a small pointed bump that can be visible from a moderate distance; in the female the legs are smoother and without spurs.
- The male uses them to defend and dominate; uses them to attack predators and rivals during mating season.
- Excluding the presence or absence of spurs, the appearance of the legs is identical between the two sexes; in both genera they are reddish-orange in color, with four toes on each foot.
Step 7. Listen to the turkey cry
Only the male emits the well-known "gloglottio"; the female produces a delicate hoarse or shrill sound, but generally not "gloglot".
Just like the fanned opening of the tail, the male's call is also an act of dominance; the gloglot is intended to scare off predators and potential rivals
Part 2 of 3: up close
Step 1. Examine the plumage on the chest
The feathers of the lower chest area of an adult male have black tips, while in the female the tips can be indifferently white, brown or bronze colored.
- As you perform this inspection, pay attention only to the area that corresponds to the lower 2/3 of the chest.
- However, keep in mind that this is an accurate criterion only if you are looking at an adult specimen; in all the young ones the tip of the plumage is light brown, therefore it is similar to that of the females and does not allow to distinguish the two sexes.
Step 2. Measure the legs
In addition to being larger in general, male turkeys also have longer legs than those of females.
In most males they are about 15 cm long, while in females they usually do not exceed 11 cm
Part 3 of 3: Define the Age
Step 1. Measure the tuft (or "beard")
That of an adult specimen is longer than that of a male not yet sexually mature, which generally does not exceed 15 cm.
At the age of two, most turkeys have a beard measuring between 23 and 25 cm; when the tuft exceeds 25 cm, it means that the turkey is more than three years old, but it is rare for it to exceed 28 cm
Step 2. Look at the plumage of the wings
In particular, look at the tips. If you are examining a male, the white streak decorating the rest of each quill should extend to the tip, but keep in mind that in a young specimen the tips are not decorated.
- The feathers of an adult turkey are usually rounded, while those of a young turkey are more pointed.
- For a better view, spread the wing out until it is fully extended and check the outermost plumage. The color and shape of the other wing feathers can change at different rates; they are therefore the most external ones that can give you the most accurate information.
Step 3. Pay attention to the tail plumage
Fan the tail or wait for the turkey to do it. The central feathers of a young specimen are longer than the others, while in the adult male all feathers form a uniform arc when the tail opens fully.
- In both cases you can see bands along the entire length, the color of which changes according to the variety of turkey and does not usually indicate the difference in age.
- Keep in mind that in the adult the tail plumage is generally 30-38 cm long, while that of the adolescent is shorter; the exact length varies according to the age of the specimen and the general development of the bird.
Step 4. Look at the chest feathers
In all young turkeys, those found in the lower 2/3 of the thorax have a brownish tip, regardless of sex.
Note that in juveniles the chest feathers are more tapered with more rounded tips; in adults the tips are instead more squared
Step 5. Examine any spurs
These bumps form in the legs of both young and adult males, although those of young specimens appear more like stumps, as they have yet to fully develop.
- In young males (not yet sexually active) the spurs do not exceed the length of about 1.25 cm.
- At the age of two, the length of the spurs is between 1, 25 and 2, 2 cm; beyond the four years, the spurs can reach and exceed the 2, 5 cm.
Advice
- Formally, the male is called "turkey", while the female "turkey", although in some regions it is also called "dindo" or "dindio".
- Furthermore, when talking about a group of turkeys, the term "flock" is used, as for all birds, regardless of whether the group is made up of specimens of only one sex or both.
