Explaining Why Turkeys Puff Their Cheeks to an 8-Year-Old

Hi there! Have you ever seen a turkey puff up its cheeks and thought, "Why does it do that?" Well, when a turkey puffs its cheeks (or more accurately, its throat), it's usually trying to talk to other turkeys or show how big and strong it is.

Think of it like when you try to look tall or loud to get someone's attention. The turkey fills the skin around its neck and face with air, making it look bigger and puffier. This is called inflating its wattle and snood – these are the red flappy parts on a turkey's head and neck.

This puffing up can mean different things:

• Showing off: Male turkeys puff up to impress female turkeys during a turkey dance, which is part of their way to find a mate.
• Warning: Sometimes turkeys puff up to scare away other animals or turkeys that they don’t like.

So, when you hear "Gobble-gobble!" and see a turkey puff its cheeks, it's kind of like the turkey is talking, saying, "Look at me!" or "Stay away!" Pretty cool, right?