Turkey,
common name for two large American birds. In adult turkeys the head and
neck are essentially naked, the feathers being reduced to hairlike
bristles. The tarsus is equipped with spurs, and the tail feathers can
be raised to form a vertical fan during courtship or aggressive
displays. Like many other members of the order to which they belong,
turkeys are polygamous; the cocks fight among themselves for access to
the hens. The nests are built of dried leaves and grasses in concealed
places on the ground. From 9 to 18 creamy white eggs with red-brown
speckles are laid in a clutch.