Bum Photo, Turkey

This white male turkey was making every effort to court the white female turkey in the enclosure. He’d puffed up all his body feathers, raised his tail feathers, and was strutting quietly and attentively around her. Not so easily impressed, she walked off to a little hut and ignored him.

Meanwhile I’d been watching from the fence and called Nigel to come and take a look. Finding himself ignored by the female, the male turkey decided he’d come and impress us instead. He was delightful!

He came over near us and put on quite a show – his feathers were all puffed up, his tail on display, and he gave us front and side views and then finally a rear view as he turned to make another approach to the female (she’d re-appeared in the distance). He was very quiet but every so often we heard a noise like a big breath of air.. Nigel described it as sounding like a compressor. We guessed it’s quite an effort for him to stage his impressive performance.

I’m glad Nigel thought to get a photo even though it’s just a bum shot!

— Queens Park, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. Photo taken 14 Sept 2019

The male turkey about to return to the female (she’s just out of frame).

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Text by Liz, photo by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2019)