The unusual plumage, also known as a “smokey phase” or “smokey gray phase,” was caused by a recessive gene. “If two eastern wild turkeys that have normal coloration also both have that recessive gene, some of their offspring may have the smokey form — like albinism,” he said.24 Jan 2018
What is a smoke phase turkey?
Are smoke phase turkeys rare?
A white-colored aberration – known as a “smoke-phase” – is rare in the percentages but common in the sense that area hunters and wildlife watchers report seeing a few every year. … Some experts estimate that roughly one in 100 wild turkeys is white or mostly white-colored.
What is a red phase turkey?
“The erythristic color phase means the turkey lacks dark pigments,” Hatfield explained. “Birds appear very red, lacking the dark contrasts of traditional plumage. These generally aren't as common as the smoke phase.” “Melanistic is when a turkey displays nearly black plumage,” Hatfield said.
Why are some turkeys white and others brown?
Wild Turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys. In completely opposite fashion, domestic turkeys are normally white in color, an intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass.
How rare is a red phase turkey?
Some researchers estimate that it's present in 1 in 50,000 wild turkeys. It's basically the opposite of albinism, which creates all white birds and is slightly rarer. “Erythristic,” or red-colored turkeys, are also very uncommon. “Smokey gray” birds, however, show up with more regularity.
How common are smoke phase turkeys?
They're also very rare. “We'll get reports of them maybe once or twice a year,” McBride says. “We really can't measure how common they are because they're seen so rarely, but they're definitely much less than one percent of our wild turkey population, which is between 20,000 and 25,000.”
How do I know if my turkey is Tom?
The male birds have a large, dark-colored chest, which on most species looks black, with a tuft of course hair protruding from the center, which is called a “beard.” While a jake will have a very short beard, and sometimes just stumble, a mature tom's beard will be quite long, especially on the Eastern wild turkey.
What is a group of turkeys called?
rafter Very young birds are poults, while juvenile males are jakes, and juvenile females are jennies. A group of turkeys is called a rafter or a flock. A wild turkey's gobble can be heard up to one mile away and is a primary means for a tom to communicate with his harem of hens.
Are there albino wild turkeys?
Rarer, though, are albinos, a condition marked by white skin and feathers along with light pink or red eyes. Seeing an albino turkey would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: It's estimated that only 1 in 100,000 Wild Turkeys is albino.