By Andrew Berry
People often hear the tom turkey gobbling on spring mornings, but seldom do you get a chance to see a wild turkey strut. The turkey strut is an incredible courtship display that is intended to attract hens and display dominance. This compilation of trail camera images is made into a quick video that we believe includes two tom turkeys and at least three hens. It captures one hour of strutting on April 8, 2020 in a small forest opening on a ridge in central Kentucky.
The strut includes
- Puffing up all feathers to look larger
- Fanning and displaying of tail feathers
- Engorgement of head and neck causing color changes from blue to red
- Lowering of wings towards the ground
- Elongation of the snood at the top of beak