Turkeys fan their feathers primarily as a courtship display to attract females during the mating season. This behavior, known as strutting, involves expanding their tail feathers into a fan shape, raising body feathers to appear larger, and sometimes making sounds. The purpose is to impress females with their plumage and colors and to assert dominance among other males. Outside of breeding, turkeys also fan their feathers to show dominance or respond to threats. Both males and females can fan their feathers, though it is mostly associated with males in mating displays. The feather fanning is controlled by small muscles at the base of each feather, allowing turkeys to erect and move their feathers as part of the display.
