In my early years of raising chickens, we also raised turkeys. Just a few, and luckily all three were men. I have a very poignant memory of those male turkeys strutting sadly around the henhouse trying to get the hens’ attention on them. It’s a memory that I revisit every year when I come across wild turkeys in the neighbors’ field. A large herd of them gather there, the males with their tails outstretched and their heads taking on alarming colors of bright blue and white, the difference being that these males actually have a chance of winning some females.

Turkey mating season is upon us. According to the Maine Department of Fish and Wildlife, “Maine wild turkeys breed in April and May. Dominant toms do most of the breeding. By strutting and gobbling, they try to attract and mate with as many hens as they can, which can be as many as 12 or more. This brief summary, however, hides a host of drama within the Turkey community.

At the beginning of the breeding season, it is mainly the males that strut about. They strut around (and sometimes fight) to establish dominance. The dominant tom gets the choice of females. These displays of dominance involve not only strutting, but also swallowing, standing with tail feathers outstretched, wings dragging on the ground, making non-vocal buzzes and chump sounds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). When excited, their wattles (the fleshy protuberances that hang from their neck and throat) as well as their snoods (another fleshy protuberance above the beak) swell as they gorge themselves with blood and become bright red. The red associated with their striking blue faces signals both their rivals and potential mates to their health and vigor. Size matters. Studies have shown that women prefer longer branch lines. Since I learned this, whenever I can observe flocks of male turkeys during the breeding season, I try to determine who is going to be the dominant tom, who has the most colorful face, the longest snood, the most upright military posture.

Turkey skin can change color from red to blue to white due to collagen bundles interspersed with dense networks of blood vessels just under the skin. Skin changes color when blood vessels swell or constrict, changing the spacing between collagen fibers, thereby changing the way the skin scatters light waves, changing the color we see. This is similar to why our veins appear blue. It all depends on the light waves that are reflected back to the eye.

After mating, the large male-female herds disperse. The males form all-male flocks while the females leave to lay the eggs and raise the young. After all the eggs have hatched, family groups often combine to form large flocks of young turkeys with two or more adult females. Right now though, when you see a flock of turkeys in a field, it’s most likely a mixed flock of mature birds. Although similar in appearance, males are larger, blockier, and more colorful than females with a metallic sheen to their feathers, while females are slimmer with dull brown feathers. The males also have a prominent beard – a tuft of modified feathers that can grow up to 12 inches! Females sometimes have them too, but they tend to be short and sparse.

One fascinating difference between the sexes is the shape of their poop. The male is J-shaped while the female’s is spiral. Check that out the next time you’re in a field! This is due to differences in the internal anatomy of the sexes. Males have a rudimentary internal sex organ which is thought to influence the shape of feces.

After learning more about the mating behavior of turkeys, I don’t feel as bad as I used to for my male turkeys without a female. It’s good to know that showing off to other men is part of their normal repertoire of behaviors. I also look forward to going out to a field of turkeys and looking for droppings.

Susan Pike, researcher and teacher of environmental science and biology at Dover High School, welcomes your ideas for future topic topics. She is looking for readers to send her the signs of spring they notice so she can document them on her site pikes-hikes.com. Send your photos and observations to [email protected] Read more of her Nature News columns online at Seacoastonline.com and pikes-hikes.com, and follow her on Instagram @pikeshikes.