Baby Turkey Time In Northern Illinois: Tiny Poults Are Everywhere

Have you noticed something a little unusual lately while driving or walking around Northern Illinois? Maybe you've spotted a wild turkey hen crossing the road with a parade of tiny babies hustling along behind her.

If so, you're not imagining things, it's baby turkey season.

Across Northern Illinois, wild turkey hens are now out and about with their young offspring, known as poults. While adult turkeys are hard to miss, these fluffy little birds often look more like fuzzy ping-pong balls with legs as they scurry through fields, neighborhoods, parks, and even backyards.

a bunch of birds that are sitting in the dirt

Here Are A Few Things You May Not Have Known About Them

A typical wild turkey hen in Northern Illinois lays between 8 and 12 eggs, although some nests contain even more.

After hatching, poults don't spend much time in the nest. In fact, they leave it within about 24 hours and immediately begin following their mother as they learn to forage for food on their own.

During their first few weeks of life, poults depend heavily on insects for the protein needed to fuel their rapid growth. As they get older, they'll add seeds, berries, and plants to their diet. They also develop surprisingly quickly. Within just a couple of weeks, many poults can flutter up into low tree branches to roost safely at night alongside their mother.

A group of birds sitting on top of a tree branch

Sure, They May Hold Up Traffic, But Seeing Mom Turkeys And Their Poults Is A Good Thing

The sight of a hen leading a dozen poults through a field is also a good sign for Illinois' wild turkey population. Wildlife officials use summer observations of hens and poults to help measure nesting success and monitor population trends across the state.

And what a success story Illinois turkeys have become.

Wild turkeys were nearly wiped out in Illinois by the early 1900s because of overhunting and habitat loss. Thanks to restoration efforts that began in the 1950s, the birds are now found throughout much of the state, including right here in Northern Illinois.

Today, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 wild turkeys roam Illinois, a remarkable comeback for a bird that had virtually disappeared from the state.