In poor light, the turkeys appear brownish. A reddish beard hangs from the midbreast and may reach 10 to 12 inches long. Both males and females have stout legs. The males have a spur on each leg that curves upwards, and it may be an inch long on older adults. Wings have barred black and white feathers.
Females are paler and buffier, and the beard is short.
In precolonial times, the American Turkey was abundant throughout the United States. The turkey population, including five subspecies, crashed primarily because of excessive hunting and habitat loss. Due to reintroductions, turkeys are reoccurring in many of their historic haunts. Turkeys inhabit a variety of habitats from open grassland and fields to open woodlands and mature deciduous or coniferous forests. They will roost in large flocks in trees.