They nest on the ground, but rest in trees during the night. The body feathers of most turkey have black tips. In some areas, tail feathers are deep reddish brown. Males have long tufts of bristlelike feathers hanging from the center of the breast and their legs have spurs. The head and neck of the turkey are not feathered, but have small growths of skin called wattles.
Females are smaller than males, with less colorful feathers and no tuft of bristles on the breast.
The eggs are light tan, speckled with brown. Turkey eat berries, small fruit, nuts, seeds and insects. Turkey were once scarce in the U.S. due to loss of habitat, but in the past century have made an amazing recovery. By the early 1920s the national population had reached a low of some 100,000. The Wild Turkey is once again a popular game species.