Wild turkeys do indeed have mating displays that can be considered dances. Male wild turkeys, known as toms, perform elaborate shows to attract female turkeys, called hens, during the spring breeding season. These mating rituals involve a combination of strutting, drumming, feather displays, and gobbling. The mating dances of wild turkeys are quite intricate and fascinating to observe.
What are the purposes of the wild turkey mating dance?
The wild turkey mating dance serves several important purposes:
- Attracts females – The mating display is meant to catch the attention of female turkeys and show off the male’s fitness as a potential mate.
- Shows dominance – The dance establishes the male’s dominance over other males in the area and his rank in the social hierarchy.
- Strengthens legs – The vigorous movements help strengthen the male’s legs and prepare him for mating and fighting.
- Marks territory – The gobbling calls announce the male’s presence and mark his territory to other males.
By performing an elaborate dance, a male wild turkey demonstrates his health, virility, and dominance to prospective mates. This increases his chances of successfully breeding with females.
When does the mating dance occur?
The mating displays of wild turkeys begin in early spring, around March and April. This coincides with the start of the breeding season when hens begin nesting. Some key times when the mating dances occur include:
- Early morning – Males dance to attract females from their nighttime roosts.
- Late afternoon – Males put on displays as females search for nest sites.
- Before mating – Intense dancing occurs right before actual mating takes place.
The dances are most vigorous in the early morning and evening hours when turkeys are most active. However, males will perform their displays throughout the day to entice any nearby females.
What are the main parts of the wild turkey mating dance?
The wild turkey mating display is complex and comprised of several different components:
Strutting
The male wild turkey begins the dance by strutting towards the female in an exaggerated fashion. He lowers his wings to the ground, spreads his tail feathers into a fan, and drags his wings to produce a bristling sound. The strutting shows off the male’s size and physique.
Drumming
As he approaches the female, the male rapidly beats his wings against his body to produce a drumming noise. The drumming serves to intimidate rivals and impress females during the dance.
Feather displays
The male puffs up his feathers during the dance to appear even larger and more impressive. The breast feathers are erected into a plume and the back feathers are stiffened.
Gobbling
Loud, guttural gobbling calls punctuate the visual display. The male gobble advertises his presence to both males and females in the area.
Circling
As the dance intensifies, the male will strut around the hen in circles. He continues strutting, drumming, puffing his feathers, and gobbling vigorously. This circular dance may persist for over an hour.
How do females respond?
Female wild turkeys are attracted to males that perform vigorous, elaborate mating displays. When a hen is ready to mate, she will crouch down low in front of the strutting male and quiver her wings. This female “receptive posture” signals to the male that she is ready to breed.
If a female is not interested, she will simply walk away from the dancing male or ignore him altogether. Some hens may also instinctively crouch briefly just to obtain the male’s attention during his strutting – even if they do not actually want to mate with him.
Why do males make different drumming sounds?
The drumming sounds produced by male wild turkeys during their mating dance can vary based on the pitch, tempo, length and complexity. Scientists have found that the drumming actually conveys important information to females:
- Lower pitched drumming indicates a larger male.
- Faster drumming signals higher vigor and fitness.
- Longer drumming displays greater stamina.
- More complex mixes of drumbeats suggest a more experienced, dominant male.
So the drumming allows females to assess physical traits and select the most impressive male as a mating partner. Females seem to prefer lower pitched, faster, longer, and more complex drumming.
Do male turkeys mate with multiple females?
Yes, it is quite common for a dominant male wild turkey to mate with multiple females in a single breeding season. Here are some key points:
- A top male turkey may assemble a “harem” of around 20 hens to mate with.
- He will perform daily mating displays to keep attracting new females.
- The male will fertilize the eggs of each female he mates with.
- The females then go off separately to nest and raise the poults on their own.
- The male does not participate in raising young.
This mating strategy allows a healthy, virile male turkey to produce a large number of offspring and pass on his genes. Subordinate juvenile males may only mate with 1-2 females in a season.
What are some variations of turkey mating dances?
While the traditional mating dance sequence involves strutting, drumming, feather displays and gobbling, wild turkeys are sometimes observed adding creative variations:
- Crooning – Males make soft cooing sounds along with gobbles to entice females.
- Beard-swinging – Long feathers on the turkey’s breast sway back and forth.
- Wing-dragging – Male scrapes his wings in the dirt as he approaches the female.
- Clucking – Males emit short purring clucks during the circling dance.
- Unusual props – Males have been seen incorporating props like small sticks into the dance.
These improvisations may help certain males stand out. However, the classic dance movements tend to form the core display required to successfully attract a mate.
How long do mating dances last?
A mating dance can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, depending on the response from the female. Here is how mating displays typically progress:
- Brief dance – If female quickly shows disinterest, dance may end in 2-5 minutes.
- Average dance – With a moderately interested female, dance may last 15-30 minutes.
- Prolonged dance – If female seems very receptive, dance can extend over an hour.
- Multiple dances – Male may return to same female on subsequent days to dance again.
Generally, the longer a female watches the display and remains near the male, the longer he will continue performing the ritual dance.
Do younger males also perform mating dances?
Younger male wild turkeys, called jakes, will also execute mating displays in the spring season. However, their dances tend to be less refined and successful compared to adult males:
- Underdeveloped tail feathers limit ability to properly fan out tail.
- Immature feathers don’t expand as fully during displays.
- Leaner muscles reduce capacity for vigorous wing drumming.
- Weaker legs prevent sustained energetic dancing.
- Lower dominance means females are less receptive.
Though initially clumsy, the dance practice helps jakes improve their skills to successfully mate in future seasons once fully mature.
What ecological factors influence mating dances?
Several environmental conditions can impact the quality and extent of wild turkey mating displays:
- Rainy weather – Heavy rain deters dancing and mating activity.
- Predators – Nearby predators like foxes cut dances short.
- Human activity – Noise and disturbances from people limit dances.
- Time of day – Early morning and evening displays are longest.
- Habitat location – Forested areas with clearings are ideal dance venues.
In optimal spring conditions, with few disturbances, male turkeys will spend the most time steadily displaying on open clearings to attract females.
What happens after successful mating dances?
Once a female wild turkey has been successfully wooed by an extended, vigorous mating dance, here is what happens next:
- actual copulation between male and female takes place quickly after dance;
- male turkey does not participate in nesting or raising poults;
- female finds appropriate nesting site away from dance area;
- she lays clutch of about 12 fertilized eggs over 1-2 weeks;
- female incubates eggs for 28 days until hatching;
- new poults follow mother turkey, who protects them.
The male’s key contribution is the mating dance itself, which allows him to transmit his genes to offspring he may never directly interact with. Meanwhile, the female undertakes the full parental duties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the elaborate mating rituals performed by male wild turkeys in spring serve the essential purpose of attracting receptive females for breeding. Elements like strutting, drumming, gobbling, and feather displays comprise a dance that allows males to showcase their suitability as mates. Females are drawn to the fittest, most virile males based on their dancing prowess. These important mating behaviors help perpetuate wild turkey populations each breeding season. Though peculiar to witness, the mating dances of wild turkeys reflect the amazing diversity and pageantry of courtship in the natural world.
