by Rex Trulove

Created on: November 20, 2011   Last Updated: November 21, 2011

It really isn't difficult to tell the difference between a tom and a hen wild turkey, even from a distance. Naturally, the bird must first be identified as being a turkey and this can be one of the biggest points of confusion.

Wild turkey vs. domestic turkey

Most of the turkeys purchased at the store, already plucked and cleaned, are from commercial turkey farms. They are bred and raised for that reason. Looking at them on one of the farms amounts to looking at usually whitish birds with little other coloration, except for the red waddles (snood, carunkles and dewlap, collectively) hanging from the area of the beak and on the head. 

In the wild, there are few white turkeys, despite the fact that there are many different kinds of wild turkeys. The coloring is usually a combination of white, brown, gold, black, and red. The most common color scheme also tends toward banded feathers. This offers camouflage protection against being found by predators. Even with the difference in colors, it is quite possible to tell the difference between a tom an a hen at a distance.

Tom and hen turkey

The toms have the protective coloration of the hens, to a point. They generally grow larger, though, and the coloration changes due mostly for displays, when they are actively breeding. The long tail feathers, which have more brown and red coloration, are often spread out in fan fashion to attract the hens. Toms also have larger waddles that become bright red as they fill with blood during the time of courting. 

Since the tom has one primary purpose, which is to breed with the hens, this coloration is most for attracting the females. Even the larger size is for this purpose. Larger birds not only tend to be more successful at finding a mate, they are better apt to protect and hold a territory. The larger they are, the more likely they are to be able to breed with the females.

The hens also have a primary purpose. That is to lay fertile eggs, incubate them and raise the resultant chicks. Though they are usually quite beautiful, their coloration is more drab than that of the toms. This is partly because there is little need to woo a mate, and partly because this often makes them even harder to see in the forest, against the backdrop of trees and bushes. Banding on the feathers is normally more pronounced, though not as bright.

Great size also doesn't benefit a hen much, so they are usually about half the size of the males, once the feathers are removed. The feathers are usually finer and denser, so they can incubate the eggs efficiently.

The waddles of a hen are greatly reduced, again because there is little need to attract a mate. They are normally not as brightly colored, either, for the same reason.

There isn't a lot of difficulty in telling the difference between the sexes of wild turkeys in the wild. There are also behavioral differences, but the size and coloration alone are usually enough to know if it is a tom or a hen. As prized as this bird is, a person should have little problem telling the sexes apart. They will probably have more difficulty in seeing them.

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