Turkey Talk

Photo Credit: dec.ny.gov

Happy Thanksgiving from Friends of Rye Nature Center! We have so much to be thankful for this year: our summer camp had eight great weeks with its highest registration numbers yet, our Forest Preschool classes are off to a great start, and this year’s Oktoberfest raised critical funds for our conservation and education efforts. And of course, we’re grateful for the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner: the turkey. 

You’ve probably heard of the turkeys’ famous gobble, but did you know turkeys have many other distinct calls? In fact, hens (female turkeys) never gobble at all, instead making soft yelps and clucks. Hens’ calls can even have specific meanings, like the assembly call. An assembly call consists of several yelps at different volumes and serves to assemble her flock if they’ve left her. 

Male turkeys are the ones who gobble, and the noise is so unique that male turkeys are sometimes called “gobblers.” Males gobble to assert dominance, attract females, and respond to other males. They prefer to gobble at high places, where the sound carries.  

Males are not restricted to the gobble, however. Like females, they have different calls depending on the situation. Turkeys of any gender give short, soft calls when walking on foot, and make a noise like a cackle when descending from their roosts. Young turkeys use a series of whistles to find their flock when they are lost.

Hunters often take advantage of turkeys’ distinct calls. A common way to hunt wild turkeys is by mimicking their call, and hunters have been using this method for at least 6,000 years. One of the earliest hunters’ calls is accomplished by making a whistle out of three bones from a hen’s wing. If you want to learn more, you can click here to hear recordings of wild turkeys.