Smoke phase Wild Turkey hen – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited or called in
If I hadn’t have been paying attention yesterday I might have missed out on spotting a flock of turkeys in some junipers and photographing a smoke phase Wild Turkey hen. Despite how large these birds are they can blend into their preferred habitat quite easily. The turkeys were gathered at the edge of a clearing and partially in the shadows of the junipers when I first spotted them and right off the bat I could see that at least one tom was displaying.
Then a flash of white caught my eyes and I found a smoke phase Wild Turkey hen among the other turkeys. I took lots of photos of her but she stayed close to the junipers and in the grasses. She is the first smoke phase Wild Turkey that I have found, pointed out, and photographed. She really stood out!
What Is a Smoke Phase Wild Turkey?
A smoke phase (or smoke morph) Wild Turkey is a rare color mutation caused by a recessive gene. These turkeys appear pale gray to silvery white with darker graphite markings on the wings and tail. Smoke phase Wild Turkeys are most often hens and are uncommon in the wild, making sightings and photographs noteworthy.
I hope that if I see the smoke phase turkey hen again that I will be able to get photos of her more out in the open.
Wild Turkey tom displaying in spring – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited or called in
After spending time photographing the smoke phase hen, I also photographed several displaying Wild Turkey toms in the same area after they emerged from the shadows of the junipers and were moving about in the grassy clearing. Like the problems I had with the smoke phase hen I struggled to get clear views of the displaying toms and the bright, winter bleached grasses from last year were an issue.
I was delighted to find these turkeys and get photos of the smoke phase hen.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Wild Turkey photos plus facts and information about this species.
Great photos, Mia. Love the information on the turkeys. The Tom definitely puts on quite a display with its’ plumage. Thank you.
Impressive Tom! Interesting info about the different degrees of albinism in Wild Turkeys.
Oops– I learned that although albinism may occur in Wild Turkeys, this color morph is not an instance of albinism.
I pointed that out that the hen is a smoke phase in my post Ken.
I am so glad that you could get out and that you, and we, had such a treat.
Stay well, stay safe.
Huh! I thought smoke phase came when the turkey was in the oven.(groan). Seriously, it is interesting to learn about the phases because I didn’t know that before now. The tom is splendid, to think they look small like a hen, then can puff themselves up so much with their feathers, looking quite fancy. Great shot of different times in a turkey’s life.
Glad you were able to get out and about yesterday. The displaying tom is absolutely gorgeous!
Wow! Thanks. I didn’t know any of this about plumage types. Very cool.
Wow, that hen really is different. Great shots.
Love. Turkeys