Its body suddenly looks much larger, its tail opens into a fan, and its head changes colour. What is behind this transformation in the wild turkey?
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The male is in the middle of a display. He raises his body feathers, fans his tail and lowers his wings to the ground. Increased blood flow also changes the colour of the skin on his head and neck, from blue to red.
Small muscles at the base of the feathers raise them, while muscles at the base of the tail allow the fan to pivot. The tail has around twenty feathers on average, though the number varies.
The display helps attract females and show dominance. Females choose among competing males, but exactly which details of the display influence their choice remains unclear.
