 Merriam's Wild Turkey
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Nov. 26, 2003 — Male turkeys gobble to attract female turkeys in the spring, but the daily factors that control why and how much an individual turkey gobbles remain a mystery to experts.
The puzzle soon may be solved, however, thanks to a high tech turkey necklace developed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
News of the project was announced in a recent press release issued by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), an organization comprised of turkey hunters that is sponsoring the research.
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According to Gary Norman, a Virginia biologist who studies wild turkeys, the mystery of turkey gobbling arose from observations made by animal experts and hunters in the wild.
"On some days in the spring," Norman told Animal Planet News, "male turkeys would be gobbling their heads off. On other days, there would be virtual silence. We are curious to find out if gobbling is affected by the weather, predators like coyotes, or even if a big, mean turkey has moved into the neighborhood and scared everyone into silence."
To help answer these questions, Norman and his colleagues have developed a microchip located in a radio transmitter that can be hung around a male turkey's neck.
James Powell, public relations manager for the NWTF, said, "When a turkey gobbles, he leans forward, thrusts his head and neck out and gobbles with a hard, bouncing thrust. It's just the physiology of the bird."
Powell added, "Male turkeys make an incredibly loud, impressive noise. It's amazing to hear it in the wild. The sound carries over an extremely long distance."
The microchip necklace will enable researchers to document every gobble, as the device will measure the side to side and up and down movements of the bird's head. Data will include the day, time, and number of gobbles. This information will be downloaded into a computer system where it will be compared with weather records, site data, numbers of hunters present at the time, and other factors.
Powell said the information would help both hunters and turkeys. Hunters will learn how to more effectively find birds, based on the gobbles. Wildlife managers, in turn, will be able to better regulate the spring turkey-hunting season, so as not to interfere too much with mating.
Yet another mystery that researchers are trying to solve is why male turkeys sometimes gobble in the fall, long after the spring mating season.
"The birds seem to be vocal at this time of year for no specific reason," Norman said.
Female turkeys do not gobble. Instead, they cluck, yelp, putt and even purr. Like a happy housecat, female turkeys usually purr when they feel content. Powell was quick to point out that wild turkeys are not socialized and do not appreciate human contact, but people who feed wild turkeys have reported hearing the females purr while they eat.
Norman and his team hope to release wild turkeys wearing the radio transmitter necklaces in the fall of 2004.
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Name: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Primary Classification: Galliformes (Game Birds) Location: North America Habitat: They prefer mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, but are also found in orchards, fields and marshes. Diet: Seeds, nuts, acorns, berries, herbs, roots, buds, flowers and insects. Size: Up to 4 ft in length and 22 lbs in weight. Description: Dark, iridescent plumage. Black flight feathers with brown and white stripes. Featherless head, colored red, blue or white depending on the season. Small, wart-like projections on head. Fleshy lobes called a wattle hang from throat. Pinkish-gray, spurred legs. Cool Facts: They are swift runners and one of the fastest flying game birds alive; they can fly as fast as 55 mph. Conservation Status: Common |
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