Monthly Image: Turkey Mating

Early spring brings out large turkey flocks and provides a window into their otherwise rather private lives.

Despite all the strutting and posturing by the males, the ladies call the shots. When we see a hen go hull-down like this, we know what’s about to happen:

 Turkey mating - invitation
Turkey mating – invitation

Getting into the right position seems remarkably awkward and requires some cooperation:

Turkey mating - mounting
Turkey mating – mounting

When her head and tail pop up, you know the thing is going right:

Turkey mating - the moment
Turkey mating – the moment

And a back massage always feels so fine:

Turkey mating - massage
Turkey mating – massage

Then he’s back to strutting & posturing:

Turkey mating - aftermath
Turkey mating – aftermath

We hope they’ll show us their chicks

Taken with the DSC-H5, hand-held through two panes of 1955-era window glass: ya get what ya get.

2 thoughts on “Monthly Image: Turkey Mating

  1. Apparently there’s a large turkey that hangs out on our property, many of our friends have seen him, but we never have. We have seen plenty of turkey vultures, however.

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