‘Hot’ for Turkey

With its fanned plumage and bold strut, a male wild turkey’s display conjures images of Americana and festive feasts. But this grandstanding isn’t intended for human eyes—it’s for female turkeys who actually use it to discern a male’s genetic prowess. How exactly she parses performances to pick her suitor can be a fairly complex enterprise, but thanks to the research of Richard Buchholz of the University of Mississippi, we have some clues as to what a female turkey finds “hot” in a male.