We see fewer wild turkeys in the winter. They spend more time in the deeper woods looking for food, while also avoiding the visual and windy exposure of our mowed fields. Here in this image you see a small flock (or “rafter”) of wild turkeys that briefly came out of a thick stand of conifers into the sun on Monday.
Note that these birds are all mature males (or “Toms”). Toms often collect together in the winter and then separate and compete with each other when the breeding season starts in the spring. Young males (or “Jakes”) also flock together in the winter. During winter days, you’ll see mature females (or “hens”) eating and traveling with their most recent young (or “poults”), but the youngsters are learning to be more independent and often separate from their moms into nearby trees when roosting at night.
By the way, one of the quickest ways to tell a male from a female wild turkey in the winter is to see whether the feathers on their sides and breasts have crisp black edges that form a scalloping design (male) or brown edges that are not as distinct (female). Males also have horn-like spurs on their lower legs, while it is extremely rare for females to grow them. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on January 22, 2024.)