File:Wild Turkey (32620623870).jpg

We discovered a flock of wild turkeys on Bailey Island who seemed to be taking advantage of seeds that were under a bird feeder. There is a lot of snow on the ground in most places and that make make it more difficult to find food. I am not sure if mating season has begun but the males, as shown here, have quite red necks and heads. The pointy red growth above the beak is called a snood. Below are some details from Wikipedia about their heads.

   Male turkeys have featherless necks and heads. They may change color according to the bird's frame of mind. In a calm state, they remain gray or blue. If angry or during courtship, the neck and the head become bright red. They also have spurs in the lower part of their legs.
   Male turkeys have peculiar fleshy growths on the neck, under the chin and above the beak. The one in the throat area is termed 'caruncle'. 'Wattles' are located under the chin and the 'snood' lies flapping on the beak.
   The snood is also a hearing organ, and it can perceive sounds five times more effectively than the human ear.
   Like head and neck, these three pieces of flesh obtain red color in states of mind mentioned above for turkeys.
   Males turkeys grows a cluster of long feathers from the center of its chest. This cluster is known as the turkey's beard.The beard is actually a group of modified feathers that look like hair. Beards are most commonly found on adult male turkeys (called gobblers), although females (called hens) will grow them occasionally.
   On adult males, these beards average about 9 inches long.