Fun Facts About Turkeys

Whether you’re looking for a Thanksgiving science lesson or just need some animal science facts, check out these interesting and fun facts about turkeys!

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Interesting Facts About Turkeys

You may be familiar with turkeys as the famous Thanksgiving Day bird, but there is so much more to them than that! 

Other than being raised to be to help us celebrate Thanksgiving, turkeys can be found in the wild throughout most of the United States, Mexico, Europe and New Zealand. 

Turkeys are really amazing birds! 

Gobble up these fun facts about turkeys!

6 Fun Facts About Turkeys for Kids

Turkeys are big.

From the top of its head to the tip of its tail, the average turkey is about 4 feet long, has a wingspan of about 5 feet wide, and can way up to 22 pounds. 

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. 

You won’t believe this, but the largest turkey in the world was named Tyson, who weighed in at a whopping 86 pounds! 

Can you imagine?

Turkeys are toms or hens.

Male turkeys are called toms, while female turkeys are known as hens. 

Toms have a bump on their forehead and spurs on their ankles. 

They also have a large fanned tail and are darker in color than hens. 

Both toms and hens have a snood (flap of skin that hangs over their beak) and a wattle (skin that dangles from their chin), although they are much more noticeable on the male turkeys. 

Turkeys are fast.

Whether they are walking or running, turkeys mostly like to stay on the ground, even though they can also fly. 

When they are running, turkeys are super fast, moving at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. 

When turkeys choose to get some air in flight, they are even faster, reaching up to 55 miles per hour. 

Now that’s speedy!

Turkeys are loud.

What’s all the commotion? 

Turkeys like to be heard, especially when they are mating. 

Male turkeys are known to make “gobble” noises to announce their presence to the hens. 

After that, there are long conversations of “purrs,” “yelps” and “kee-kees” that can be heard up to a mile away. 

Turkeys have excellent eyesight.

While they don’t see all that well in the dark, turkeys are known to have really good eyesight during the day (even better than humans!). 

In addition to their exceptional sight, they also have 270-degree field of vision, which helps them span wide areas of land for food. 

That’s amazing!

The turkey was almost the national bird.

We know that the national bird of the United States is the bald eagle…  but did you know that it was almost the turkey? 

Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey was a respectable “bird of courage” and should, therefore, be the national bird. 

However, not everyone agreed, so the turkey didn’t make the cut. 

Turkey Facts

These interesting facts definitely prove that these feathered fowls are incredible birds! 

Whether living in the wild or being raised on a farm, turkeys are something special.

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