Round 1
Turkeys have teeth. True or False?
False! Turkeys swallow pebbles or small rocks to help with digestion because they do NOT have teeth. The rocks and pebbles are stored in an organ called the "gizzard" to help breakdown food.
Turkey babies are called "chicks." True or False?
False! Turkey babies are called "poults."
Turkey eggs are safe to eat. True or false?
True! A turkey egg tastes very similar to chicken eggs.
A turkey's brain is the size of a pea. True or false?
True! Most birds have brains the size of a nut or possibly smaller in some cases. Despite this, they are believed to be some of the most intelligent species of the animal kingdom!
Turkeys can swim. True or false?
True! Turkeys are actually quite adept swimmers.
Wild turkeys like to sleep in trees. True or False?
True. Turkeys will fly to the highest limb they can in order to stay clear of predators in the night.
Both male and female turkeys gobble. True or false?
False! Male turkeys (which are called gobblers for this very reason) make the gobbling noise to attract female turkeys (which are called hens).
Turkeys puff up their feathers in winter when they are cold to keep themselves warm. True or false?
False! Turkeys puff their feathers, fan their tails, and "strut their stuff" during breeding season or at other times to establish dominance or status within the flock.
Turkeys fly south for the winter like geese. True or False?
False! Turkey's can fly up to 40-50 miles per hour for short distances of about 100 yards or less.
Turkeys mate for life. True or false?
True! Turkeys forge life-long partnerships from their very first day out of the egg.
Turkeys are omnivores (meaning they eat both plants and animals). True or false?
True! Turkeys primarily like to eat plant matter such as beech nuts, pecans, hickory nuts, crabapples, and hackberries but will take advantage of other easily available foods such as salamanders, small birds, and insects.
Turkeys are friendly animals. True or false?
True! But also false! For the most part, turkeys are peaceful creatures able to live amongst other livestalk. They can make great pets if given ample space and shelter. However, wild turkeys can become quite aggressive towards people. If being chased or threatened by a turkey, waving your arms and yelling, flapping your coat or shirt, blowing a whistle, or flapping an umbrella may help scare it away.
Turkeys sleep with their heads up to stay alert of predators. True or False?
False! Turkeys sleep with their heads tucked under their wing while standing on one leg. They also sometimes snore!
Turkeys "preen" their feathers everyday as a method for hygiene.
True! Preening is a turkeys way of cleaning its feathers to keep them in the best condition.
Turkeys have feelings. True or false?
True! It is believed that turkey's can feel fear, pain, happiness, and sadness. And they even mourn the death of flock members using a refined language of yelps and cackles.
Turkeys have excellent memory. True or false?
True! A turkey can remember precise details of over 1,000 acres of a property by exploring the area with their beak.
A group of turkeys is called a "gaggle." True or false?
False! A group of turkeys is called a "flock."
Turkeys purr like a cat. True or false?
True! Female turkeys make a rolling call that sounds like a purring noise when they feel content (yes, just like a cat).
A turkey's head changes color. True or false?
True! When excited or agitated, the colors of a turkey's face can change from red to white to blue.
Male and female turkeys look exactly the same. True or false?
False! It's sometimes hard to notice, but the tips of a female's feathers will be brown where the male feathers have black tips.
Turkeys can see in the dark. True or false?
False! Turkeys do not see well in the dark. But they have a great sense of hearing, so it's not easy to sneak up on them.
A turkey has 500-600 feathers. True or false?
False! A turkey has 5,000-6,000 feathers.
Turkeys have warts on their heads. True or false?
True! Both female and male turkeys have warts on their heads, but males have more.
Male turkeys have beards. True or false?
True! Adult "gobblers" (males) have black feathery beards that grow longer each and every year.
Eating turkey makes people sleepy. True or false?
True! Turkey meat contains an amino acid that is linked to sleepiness, which is why people tend to feel tired after Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.