Male turkeys have a few different common names that are used to identify them. From true technical terms to colorful folksy expressions, there are a variety of names for tom turkeys. So what exactly do you call a male turkey? Here’s a look at the most popular names and terminology.
Tom Turkey
The most common name for a male domestic turkey is a tom. A sexually mature male over one year old is referred to as a tom turkey. This name can apply to wild turkeys as well.
“Tom” is thought to come from “tomcat” since male turkeys strut around similarly to male cats when trying to attract mates. The term may have also derived from “tomfoolery” referring to their silly mating behaviors.
Gobbler
Another very common name for a male turkey is a “gobbler,” This name refers specifically to the unique vocalization male turkeys make called gobbling,
Male turkeys gobble to attract females during mating season. Their calls can resonate over a mile away. Since only male turkeys gobble, the name “gobbler” is very fitting for a tom.
Jake
A young male turkey under one year old is called a “jake.” Once male turkeys reach about 5-10 months old, they are considered jakes as they transition from poults (babies) into adult toms.
At the jake stage, their tail feathers start to lengthen and males begin attempting to gobble and court females. But they are not yet sexually mature.
Strutter
Another folksy term used mainly in the past for male turkeys is “strutter.” This refers to the flashy mating display male turkeys perform called strutting.
To attract females, male turkeys will puff up their feathers, fan their tail, drag their wings, and strut around with an exaggerated macho gait. So “strutter” describes this characteristic behavior.
Origins of “Tom Turkey”
While “tom” and “gobbler” are most common today, where did the name “tom turkey” originally come from? Here are some of the main theories on the origin of this term:
- Derived from “tomcat” since male turkeys prance around like male cats when courting
- An abbreviation of “tombull” which was an old name for male turkeys
- Linked to “tomfoolery” regarding their spirited mating displays
- Named after a legendary large male wild turkey in Massachusetts called “Old Tom” that evaded hunters
The exact origin is uncertain, but “tom” has been used to refer to male turkeys since at least the 1700s. Other folksy rural terms like “master gobbler” and “strutter” were also previously used.
Turkey Terminology by Age
Here’s a quick guide to the names for male turkeys based on their age:
- Poult – Newly hatched turkey under 4-5 months
- Jake – Young male turkey between 5-10 months old
- Tom or Gobbler – Sexually mature male over 1 year old
Identifying a Tom Turkey
Toms have some very noticeable characteristics that differentiate them from female hens, including:
- Size – Toms are much larger, sometimes twice as big as hens
- Plumage – Toms have bright red, white and blue heads. Their body feathers are very iridescent.
- Beard – Toms have a beard of black bristly feathers protruding from their chest.
- Spurs – Toms have pointed spikes on their legs starting around 5 months old.
- Fanning – Toms fan out their tail feathers and spread their wings as a mating display.
- Strutting – Toms puff out their feathers and strut to attract hens.
- Gobbling – Only male turkeys gobble with a deep resonant call.
Thanks to their distinct size, coloring, turkey tail feathers, impressive strutting, and of course, gobbling, identifying a male tom turkey is easy. They put on quite a show during mating season!
Mating Behaviors of Male Turkeys
In addition to unique physical features, male turkeys exhibit some interesting mating behaviors:
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Strutting – Male turkeys strut by puffing out chest feathers, fanning their tail, dragging wings, and walking with an exaggerated macho gait.
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Drumming – Toms rapidly beat their wings against their body making a drumming sound to attract mates.
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Spitting – Male turkeys make a “spitting” sound by vibrating their tongue on the roof of their mouth while courting.
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Gobbling – The famous gobble call resonates for over a mile to call out to females and proclaim territory.
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Fighting – Toms spar with other males using spurs on their legs to establish dominance for breeding rights.
These flashy mating behaviors are why male turkeys are often called “strutters” and their spirited courtship displays referred to as “tomfoolery.”
Importance of Male Turkeys
Why are male turkeys, in particular toms, so important? Here are some of the key roles they play:
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Genetic Diversity – Varied male gobblers provide diverse genetics to strengthen flocks.
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Protection – Dominant toms act as guards to defend the flock from predators.
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Leadership – The alpha tom guides the flock to food sources and roosting spots.
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Mating – Obviously male turkeys are essential for breeding to perpetuate the species.
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Competition – Rival toms competing displays breeding fitness which improves the gene pool.
So those impressive gobbling, strutting male turkeys play a crucial part in turkey populations despite their tomfoolery. Next Thanksgiving when you admire the turkey tail feathers fanned out, remember just how remarkable toms really are!
Wild Turkey Call
In the wild, the male turkey makes a distinct gobbling sound to attract females, warn of danger, and proclaim territory. The gobble is a resonant, gurgling call that can carry over a mile and is made by sexually mature male turkeys, also known as gobblers. Here are some key facts about the wild turkey call:
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Made by exhaling air through the larynx and vocal organ while the neck is stretched and chest puffed out. This produces the resonant gobble.
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Mainly made during spring mating season to attract females but also heard in fall and winter.
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Usually gobbles 3-4 times in a series lasting 2-3 seconds each.
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Can gobble any time of day but most active at dawn and late afternoon.
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Highly effective communication reaching hens and rival males up to 1 mile away.
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Also used outside of breeding season to locate flocks and warn of potential threats.
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Male poults start practicing gobbling sounds at just 2-3 weeks old in preparation.
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Dominant adult males gobble most frequently to assert territory and dominance.
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The familiar gobble is a nostalgic sound of the wild turkey and a harbinger of spring across rural America.
So next time you hear a resonant gobbling ringing out, take a moment to appreciate the wonder of the wild turkey call!
Male turkeys go by a variety of interesting names like tom, gobbler, and jake. Mature males have distinct physical features like beards, spurs, and vibrant plumage that differentiate them from females. Their flashy mating behaviors including strutting, drumming, and of course gobbling inspired many of their descriptive folksy names. While their courtship antics seem silly, male turkeys play a vital role and their calls are a classic symbol of rural Americana. Whether called a tom, gobbler or strutter, the male turkey is a majestic bird!
Turkey Basics-Gobblers and Hens
Let’s begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens).
Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Gobblers have a featherless, red head (sometimes with blue and white coloring, too) with prominent wattle and fleshy, red growths (called caruncles) on their neck. They also have a “beard”—a tuft of black, hair-like strands—protruding from their chest.
On adult gobblers (called toms), the beard can be 7-9 inches or more in length, but on young gobblers (called jakes) the beard is <6 inches long. Typically, gobblers hang out away from hens during the summer since they take no part in raising young.
Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers. They have a head that is more blue-gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head.
Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not to the same extent as gobblers.
How many gobblers and hens do you see in this picture?
2 gobblers (both jakes, note the larger size, less-feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard protruding from the chest of the jake on the right), 4 hens (one mostly hidden behind a jake, but you still can clearly see the typical head of a hen turkey poking out), 1 unknown. If we were here in person live, the birds would move about and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake, but given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown.
Poults develop very quickly (they must in order not to be eaten!) and feather types, appearance, and body size change rapidly as they age. Based on these characteristics, we can estimate the age of poults. For simplicity, we divide poults into three age classes.
1 week old or younger. Poults that are no more than about a week old are still covered with downy feathers and are very small (<5-6 inches tall). They look like little puff balls about the size of your fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers. They are about 6-10 inches tall, similar in size to a Blue Jay. In appearance, they look to be all wings (which is good because it means now they can fly into low trees to escape ground predators). Poults on the older end of this age class will have started to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies, but still have short tail feathers.
Hen with class 2 age group poults
Hen with older class 2 age-group poult (borderline class 3)
Hen with class 2 age group poults
6-8 weeks or older. Poults early in this stage still have some down feathers occurring on the neck and head, but their body is covered with juvenile type contour feathers. They have visible tail feathers now, black-and-white barred wing feathers are emerging, and they stand about 10-12 inches tall, similar in size to a crow or a chicken. By about 8 weeks of age, poults are beginning to grow new “adult” looking body feathers and will have a mixture of juvenile feathers and adult feathers on their body. They are about half the size of the hen and will continue to grow to almost the same size as the hen by the end of the summer. Turkey Poults
Because they are very similar in size, late in the summer it can be very challenging to determine if a group of similar-sized turkeys is a flock of hens without poults or a hen and her older-age-class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
How to use a TURKEY Mouth call – THE BASICS –
FAQ
What is a male turkey called a tom or?
Male turkeys are called toms or gobblers, and they are easy to differentiate from female turkeys. Male turkeys have uniquely colored or patterns tail feathers they fan out as a mating enticement or territorial display (see figure). They also have a long flap of skin under their beak called a wattle.
What is the slang for a male turkey?
Gobbler – This is the adult male of the turkey species. This bird can weigh upwards of 25 plus pounds and has a beard that grows out of his chest along with spurs on his lower legs. The spur length signifies his age.
What is a turkey man called?
Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days. A male turkey is called a tom or gobbler.
Is a male turkey called a stag?
In Canada and the United States, male turkeys are called toms. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, they are stags. The great majority of domestic turkeys are bred to have white feathers because their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised.
What is a male Turkey called?
A young male turkey is referred to as a Jake, while a mature male turkey is called a Tom. Out of the many animals that exist in the world, domesticated turkeys are one of the few that are raised for both meat and eggs. As mentioned earlier, male turkeys are referred to as Toms or Jakes, depending on their age.
Are male turkeys bigger than female turkeys?
Male turkeys, or “toms,” are bigger and have more colorful plumage than female turkeys, or “hens.” The males attract females with their wattles (colorful flaps of skin around their necks), and tufts of bristles or beards that hang from their chests.
Are domestic turkeys male or female?
Domestic turkeys, which are generally raised for meat, as breeders, or kept as pets, have similar coloring for both male and female when they are babies. However, male domestic turkeys are significantly larger than females, similar to wild turkeys.