Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Wild Turkey Breeding On Trail Camera. Notice the color change in the tom's head.
Trail Cameras reveal a lot of things. And every now and then something unique happens.
One of our Mossberg crew members, Rylan Fowler, captured some unique breeding behavior on a trail camera recently.
Notice something in this video - all of the red is gone from the Gobbler's head and it has become chalk white.
It is not that this happens all the time when breeding - but it happens a lot.
When it comes to how you set up your turkey decoy spread, it pays to paint the strutter's head white. Which signals a breeding posture.
In this video you'll see:
Male Wild Turkey breeding hen.
A Wild Turkey Hen sitting for a male.
Color Change On Turkey's Head
Decoy Strategy For Turkey Hunting
Turkey Decoy Setup
The male wild turkey's head and neck change color during breeding season due to specialized caruncles (fleshy protuberances) that can rapidly shift between red, white, and blue. This color change is controlled by the turkey's ability to regulate blood flow to these areas.
When a male (tom) turkey is excited or displaying to attract females, his head can rapidly shift between colors:
- Red indicates high blood flow to the caruncles
- Blue occurs when blood flow is restricted in certain areas
- White appears when blood is temporarily drained from those tissues
These dramatic color changes serve several important purposes:
- Sexual display to attract females
- Signaling dominance to other males
- Communicating emotional states and breeding readiness
The striking color changes, combined with the tom's elaborate strutting display and fanned tail feathers, create one of the most visually impressive courtship displays in North American birds. Females select mates based partly on the vibrancy and rapid transitions of these color changes, making it a powerful indicator of a male's genetic fitness and health.
mossberg.com
Wild Turkey Breeding On Trail Camera. Notice the color change in the tom's head.
Trail Cameras reveal a lot of things. And every now and then something unique happens.
One of our Mossberg crew members, Rylan Fowler, captured some unique breeding behavior on a trail camera recently.
Notice something in this video - all of the red is gone from the Gobbler's head and it has become chalk white.
It is not that this happens all the time when breeding - but it happens a lot.
When it comes to how you set up your turkey decoy spread, it pays to paint the strutter's head white. Which signals a breeding posture.
In this video you'll see:
Male Wild Turkey breeding hen.
A Wild Turkey Hen sitting for a male.
Color Change On Turkey's Head
Decoy Strategy For Turkey Hunting
Turkey Decoy Setup
The male wild turkey's head and neck change color during breeding season due to specialized caruncles (fleshy protuberances) that can rapidly shift between red, white, and blue. This color change is controlled by the turkey's ability to regulate blood flow to these areas.
When a male (tom) turkey is excited or displaying to attract females, his head can rapidly shift between colors:
- Red indicates high blood flow to the caruncles
- Blue occurs when blood flow is restricted in certain areas
- White appears when blood is temporarily drained from those tissues
These dramatic color changes serve several important purposes:
- Sexual display to attract females
- Signaling dominance to other males
- Communicating emotional states and breeding readiness
The striking color changes, combined with the tom's elaborate strutting display and fanned tail feathers, create one of the most visually impressive courtship displays in North American birds. Females select mates based partly on the vibrancy and rapid transitions of these color changes, making it a powerful indicator of a male's genetic fitness and health.
mossberg.com
