Both male and female chickens have fleshy growths at the tops of their heads called combs. No. We have two Bourbon Red Turkey hens (or at least we think they are hens). Another turkey, the ocellated turkey, is a completely separate species and looks quite different from more familiar wild turkeys, with bolder, brighter colors and different wattles. Snoods are extremely easy to see right above male turkeys' beaks. Birds don’t sweat—they can’t sweat—so the turkey is otherwise trapped in its dense, dark feathers. Wattles are generally paired structures but may occur as a single structure when it is sometimes known as a dewlap.Wattles are frequently organs of sexual dimorphism. Like some lizards, turkeys can have a flap of skin that stretches from their lower beak to their neck, called a dewlap or wattle; but the most striking part of a turkey is often its snood. However, production has increased substantially as Canadian turkey exports have grown by 30 per cent since 2001. Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. The male parent turkeys have very little to do with raising chicks. These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and clearings like miniature dinosaurs. Beards grow on … Although female turkeys do indeed possess wattles, they're easy to miss. While female wild turkeys do have wattles, a female's wattles are smaller and less colorful than a male’s. [Kidzone Animal Facts] The American Turkey. Turkeys heads are not glamorous to humans, but they certainly are for female turkeys. Wattles are an adaptive feature that come in handy in several ways. Caruncles in birds include those found on the face, wattles, dewlaps, snoods and earlobes. It helps that turkeys have excellent hearing, even though their “ears” are nothing more than small holes in their heads behind the eyes. Courting males puff themselves into feathery balls and fill the air with exuberant gobbling. What are They For? A wattle is a fleshy caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds and mammals. But a deeper dive into the mating rituals and breeding characteristics of the turkey (animal) reveals some weird, interesting things. Find answers now! Biologists and hunters call those hairs beards. You are free to use all of it in book reports or for your personal website. 1 Questions & Answers Place. Caruncles in birds include those found on the face, wattles, dewlaps, snoods and earlobes. Asked in Chickens and Roosters Why do turkeys have wattles… Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. For example, male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are called hens, young males are called jakes, baby turkeys are called poults, and a group of turkeys is called a flock. Wattles have other roles to play. Female turkeys lack the large tail and are much less iridescent than males. A distinguishing feature of both domesticated and wild turkeys is the black fibrous hairs that hang down from the chest away from the body plumage. With pigs and goats, the wattle is covered in hair and has no known biological function. Hens bear less colorful feathers than males, with rusty brown, white or gray-tipped breast feathers. These are the fleshy bumps on their necks and heads. Caruncles are noticeable on the males' lower necks, as sizable mounds. All turkeys, male and female, have caruncles. Why don't female turkeys have a wattle? Wattles are generally paired structures but may occur as a single structure when it is sometimes known as a dewlap.Wattles are frequently organs of sexual dimorphism.