We happened to look out the window when a troupe of six wild turkeys walked by. One of them was a very light brown. Having just read about the Spirit Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), we started called it a Spirit Turkey. So enthralled by seeing this new bird, it wandered off with its friends. We never thought to snap its photo.
Spirit Turkey, although descriptive, didn't satisfy my curiosity. I searched the Internet using that term and got nothing relevant. I tried "white turkey", "auburn turkey", and "light brown turkey." Among the results was an article Smoke-phase Turkeys are Rare, Beautiful. One in 100 wild turkeys have this coloration, most typically they are hens. There are other rare phases--red, black, and true albino.
This photo is from the web, as the smoke-phase turkey has not reappeared. But none of the turkeys have returned yet. I'd like to think the smoke-phase is still hanging out with its friends. However, the reduced camouflage puts them at higher risk for a run-in with a predator.
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