Bearded Bird

If you’ve seen a male wild turkey, you likely noticed a shock of long, dark, fibrous bristles hanging from its breast plumage.  That’s called a beard, and it’s made of modified feathers. 

Jakes (yearling male birds) have beards of 3 to 4 inches in length, while a 2-year-old gobbler has a 7- to 9-inch beard.  Older gobblers have beards of 10-plus inches.  

It has been theorized that 10 to 20 percent of hens (female turkeys) have beards.  Aside from this likely genetic mutation bearded hens also breed, lay eggs and raise broods. As far as we know, bearded hens are just as sexy to spring gobblers as those without.  

You don’t have to purchase a ticket to the circus to see a bearded lady….