Caruncles, Wattles and Snoods

Of all the bird fowl that exist in this province you would have thought that “meleagris gallopavo merriami” would be the unlikeliest to thrive in increasing numbers, but thrive they have. Since their introduction to the Cypress and Porcupine Hills in 1962 the populations of wild turkeys have taken off, literally. Sightings of large flocks have been noted for many years now out around Lee Lake, Passburg and as far west as West Coleman and on into the Lower Elk Valley. Their phenomenal transplant success led to the introduction of an Alberta Fish and Wildlife hunting season in 1991.

There are six subspecies of gobblers, each with subtle differences in coloration, habitat and behaviour. The subspecies in the Pass and Elk Valley areas are called Merriam’s and range throughoutthe Rocky Mountains all the way down to New Mexico.

The large gregarious males, called toms, are a remarkable sight to behold. When a tom is excited his head turns blue, when ready to fight it turns red. The males have a snood, which is a fleshy bump on the dorsal surface of the beak and are unique to turkeys. This fleshy mass can become quite large in males, up to 5 or 6 inches in length. The protuberance hangs over their bills and can be extended or contracted at will. Studies have shown that wild turkey hens prefer to select long-snooded toms, and research suggests that such toms are healthier than their short-snooded counterparts.

Toms also have caruncles which are fleshy nodular masses of tissue concentrated at the base of their neck. They become flushed and bright red when they are agitated or excited and their purpose is unknown. Throw in a wattle at the base of the neck and a turkey tom in mating season is a pretty spectacular sight. Viewing the snood, caruncle and wattles all aflame and his fluffed feathers, which have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze and gold iridescence, is unforgettable.

The males also come equipped with a pointed bony spike called a spur that sticks out the back of his leg and can be almost two inches long! Gobblers get into some pretty nasty scraps and no doubt this spur takes its toll. And just to round out this amazing bird’s appearance let’s throw in a beard. A tuft of coarse hair (modified feathers) growing out from the center of the breast, up to nine inches long.

Other turkey terminology is that the females are called hens, the juvenile females are called Jenny’s and the juvenile males called Jakes. The chicks are referred to as “poults” and are precocial and nidifugous. That is to say they are relatively mature and mobile right from birth and leave the nest shortly after hatching. This is critical for these young to survive and by two weeks old they can usually fly up into the trees to roost with the hens. With the myriad of predators out there this ability to fly is a lot more significant than people realize. Turkeys can take off straight up and then convert quickly to horizontal flight like a harrier jet.

Written by John Kinnear, Historian & Author

Crowsnest Pass