They grow throughout a bird's life, although friction from the ground and accumulated snow and ice in winter reduce their length. Unlike feathers, turkey beards are not molted. Males are also darker overall with black-tipped breast feathers and a feather-like appendage, called a beard, protruding from their neck above the breast (Figure 3). In addition to being larger than hens, gobblers have a colorful, unfeathered head and neck that are red, white and blue. Several physical characteristics help identify male and female turkeys. A juvenile male is called a jake a female is a jenny. Female turkeys, or hens, average 8 to 11 pounds (Figure 2). Adult males, commonly called gobblers, average 17 to 21 pounds (Figure 1). These birds have short beaks and wings, feed and nest on the ground and have young that leave the nest shortly after hatching. Turkeys, the largest game bird in North America, are gallinaceous birds, a group that includes pheasants, quail and grouse. Wild turkey biology and life history Physical characteristics This broader information will help landowners and managers better understand the value of implementing specific habitat management practices. Before learning about specific habitat management practices, it is important to build basic knowledge about turkey biology, population dynamics and habitat needs. This guide provides recommendations for doing just that. Many private landowners in Missouri are interested in creating and maintaining habitat for wild turkeys. In less than half a century, Missouri's turkey population went from the brink of extirpation, or localized extinction, to an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 birds, among the largest populations in the nation. Initiated in the mid-1950s, Missouri's turkey restoration efforts would span more than two decades and involve the relocation of more than 2,600 turkeys to 213 sites in 91 counties. The cannon net allowed biologists to capture flocks of wild turkeys in areas where they were abundant and relocate them to other parts of the state that had adequate habitat. In the early 1950s, intensive habitat management on several Ozark refuges and modification of the cannon net set the stage for a historic wildlife restoration effort. Unregulated harvest and habitat destruction caused by extensive deforestation, uncontrolled burning and free-range grazing resulted in the population's near demise in Missouri. Once abundant, turkey numbers declined rapidly during the early 1900s, as they did in much of the eastern United States. Missouri is home to the eastern subspecies of wild turkey, one of five subspecies native to North America. Their restoration is one of the state's great conservation success stories. By the early 1950s, it was estimated that fewer than 2,500 turkeys were left in only 14 Missouri counties. Not much more than a half century ago, Missouri's wild turkey population was in danger of disappearing from the landscape.
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