wildturkeyDNA

@wildturkeydoc @wildturkeylab @DucksUnlimited @NWTF_official @UTEP @LavretskyLab #lowcountrygamebirdfoundation #duckdna

We congratulate Kevin on harvesting such a unique wild turkey and stay tuned for more results from year 1 of wildturkeyDNA as we explore the origin of plumage color variations in these magnificent birds.

When Kevin shot this turkey in Montana during 2025 and sent us pictures of the bird, our first thought was this bird had to be either a hybrid of a domestic and wild bird, or some type of pure domestic turkey.

WildturkeyDNA rolls on this week with Kevin's all-white plumage turkey from Montana. We will reveal results tomorrow, but drop your comments below as to what you think about the origin of the all-white plumage in this bird. Is it a wild, Heritage or something else?

Congrats to Gabe for harvesting a beautiful wild turkey and stay tuned for more results from year 1 of wildturkeyDNA as we explore the origin of plumage color variations in these magnificent birds.

When Gabe shot this interesting looking turkey in West Virginia during spring 2025, his buddy Shane reached out to us to see if we could help determine the origin of the odd plumage in this bird’s wings.

Partial leucism is linked to a genetic mutation that causes disruption in melanin production, and of the odd plumage conditions seen in wild turkeys, is one of the more common.

Genetic testing through wildturkeyDNA revealed that this unique bird is 100% wild turkey. The bird Gabe shot shows signs of partial leucism, which we’ve seen on a number of similar birds tested through wildturkeyDNA.

The tail feathers, as well as the feathers on the body and upper surface of the wing look normal, but all of the primaries and secondaries are pale and mostly white. In fact, several of the primary coverts look similar, lacking the dark barring you’d expect to see.

Is it wild turkey, a Heritage turkey, or something else? @NWTF_official @LavretskyLab @wildturkeydoc @wildturkeylab @UTEP @DucksUnlimited #lowcountrygamebirdfoundation #duckdna

WildturkeyDNA rolls along this week with an interesting looking turkey shot by Gabe in West Virginia during 2025. We’ll reveal results tomorrow but drop your thoughts in the comments as to the origin of the unique plumage in Gabe’s bird.

@NWTF_official @LavretskyLab @wildturkeydoc @wildturkeylab @UTEP @DucksUnlimited #lowcountrygamebirdfoundation #duckdna

When Josh shot this turkey in eastern Kansas during 2025, he knew he had a unique bird in hand. So, he contacted us at wildturkeyDNA to help him uncover the origin of very odd plumage in his bird.

We congratulate Josh on harvesting such a unique wild turkey and stay tuned for more results from year 1 of wildturkeyDNA as we explore the origin of plumage color variations in these magnificent birds.

which contribute to the abundance of reddish colors. As we continue to study through wildturkeyDNA, there are a variety of genetic paths that can cause odd plumage in wild turkeys, and those paths can be quite complex!

We know that the mixing of such distinct gene pools can produce plumage abnormalities. Two, this bird has multiple genetic mutations that cause lack of barring in the wing feathers and overproduction of other pigments such as carotenoids,

and Josh’s bird is right with those wild turkeys. So, what causes the odd plumage in this bird? For one, this and all of the wild turkeys sampled from Kansas so far appear to be genetic intermediates between an Eastern and Rio Grande wild turkey.

If you look at the 2nd image, you can see that domestic and Heritage turkeys cluster genetically in the bottom right (purple and red dots), whereas dozens of samples collected from wild turkeys across multiple study sites in Kansas cluster together (inside circle)…

At first glance, we thought this had to be a barnyard turkey or a hybrid of some kind. Well, after running test after test after test, we’ve determined that Josh’s bird is 100% wild turkey!