Tail fan color

[rraymond]

I've noticed some eastern turkeys have different tail fan colors some real dark some light brown and some reddish. Any known reason why? Genetics or diet is what I was thinking. Just interesting

[MK M GOBL]

What part of fan are you talking about? Tail tips? Upper/Lower coverts or main of fan?

Have killed a "few" easterns

MK M GOBL

[rraymond]

The lower tips

[THattaway]

Local genetics I'd say. I see a good bit of variation in all sorts of their feathers across SC. Tail tip color, basic tail color, the feathers you speak of, Iridescent spots sometimes on the tail fan black band, the white barred feathers in the middle of the fan, primary wing feathers that are sometimes jet black with no white patches, secondary wing feathers with no barring at all or that are extremely white or even orange colored. I found a predator or winter kill while hunting yesterday eve, a large mess of wing feathers, where the bird below was killed some years back. The secondary wing feathers I found had the same color. Seems those genetics are still in the area I guess.

[MK M GOBL]

The lower tips

Yup see some variation, most are chocolate brown but will range to a dark buff in WI where I am.

MK M GOBL

[SteelerFan]

Local genetics I'd say. I see a good bit of variation in all sorts of their feathers across SC. Tail tip color, basic tail color, the feathers you speak of, Iridescent spots sometimes on the tail fan black band, the white barred feathers in the middle of the fan, primary wing feathers that are sometimes jet black with no white patches, secondary wing feathers with no barring at all or that are extremely white or even orange colored. I found a predator or winter kill while hunting yesterday eve, a large mess of wing feathers, where the bird below was killed some years back. The secondary wing feathers I found had the same color. Seems those genetics are still in the area I guess.

That's a cool looking bird!

[dejake]

That's a beautiful bird, for sure.

[Gooserbat]

A lot like Friday night dates some are blonde, some are brunette, some are in between and a few are red heads.

[Marc]

I would guess that feather pigmentation is probably dependent on some combination of diet and genetics and age of the birds.

[roverboy]

Congrats. Pretty cool bird there.