Question: what's the difference between a tom and a jake turkey

title: Wild turkey
text: Adult wild turkeys have long reddish - yellow to grayish - green legs . The body feathers are generally blackish and dark , sometimes grey brown overall with a coppery sheen that becomes more complex in adult males . Adult males , called toms or gobblers , have a large , featherless , reddish head , red throat , and red wattles on the throat and neck . The head has fleshy growths called caruncles . Juvenile males are called jakes ; the difference between an adult male and a juvenile is that the jake has a very short beard and his tail fan has longer feathers in the middle . The adult male 's tail fan feathers will be all the same length . When males are excited , a fleshy flap on the bill expands , and this , the wattles and the bare skin of the head and neck all become engorged with blood , almost concealing the eyes and bill . The long fleshy object over a male 's beak is called a snood . Each foot has three toes in front , with a shorter , rear - facing toe in back ; males have a spur behind each of their lower legs . 

Answer: answer: Adult male wild turkeys are called toms or gobblers, juvenile males are called jakes.