FWC Fish And Wildlife Research Institute issued the following announcement on Nov. 23.
Tom or Jake?
Here are couple ways to spot a juvenile wild turkey from an adult: When looking at the outermost (10th) primary flight feather on the wing, if barring is incomplete and the tip is sharply pointed, the bird is a juvenile. If the entire feather is barred and the tip is rounded, the bird is an adult.
A male’s tail feathers will tell you whether he’s an adult (tom) or a juvenile (jake). If the tail fan displays a “stair step” with shorter outer feathers stepping up to longer central feathers, he’s a juvenile. If the feathers of the tail fan are all the same length, he’s an adult.
These characteristics apply to male and female turkeys - on occasion, females may display their tail fans and have been observed strutting just like male turkeys!
Original source can be found here.
Source: FWC Fish And Wildlife Research Institute
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