Turkey Love

Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy and Guy Raz here, and before we start the show, we've got a little surprise for you. Reggie, cue the fanfare. Starting this week, we've got brand new episodes of Wow in the World. Yep, that's right. Starting right here on our Wow in the World podcast feed and also our YouTube channel, WowTube. You can watch now at Tinkercast.com slash YouTube. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the show. discoveries that are jumping off the page. Wild in the world. Wild in the world. Wild in the world. Wild in the world. Wild in the world. Wild in the world. I'm in the lead. It's my guy phone telling me that I have a message. Oh my, wow. I gotta tell Guy Ross. Run, run, run, run, run, run, run. Run, run, run, run, run, run. Hey, Mindy! Mindy! Mindy! Hey! Where are you going? Why are you running away from me? Good morning, Mindy. I've got a package for you here at... Sorry! Can't stop now! I've got big news! Oh, well, in that case, why don't we all just stop, Mindy! Mindy? Hey, Rosie! Why are you so out of breath? Because I just ran all the way over here from my house. But your house is next door. Exactly. Which is why I should probably move my gingerbread mansion to your kitchen. Uh-huh. Anywho, do you know why I ran all the way over here? Uh, not really, no. Well, because, Gyraz, it's the first day of spring, and you know what that means. That my micro-organic cherry tomatoes are finally almost ready to harvest? What? No! Oh, right. It's turkey season, Guy Raz! Mindy, you can eat turkey any time of the year. Oh, I'm not talking about eating turkey. Gross. I'm talking about turkey mating season. Uh, what? Turkey mating season, Guy Raz. The flowers are blooming, the weather is warming, and every wild turkey from San Francisco to New York City is looking for love. Wait, I'm confused here, Mindy. Why exactly are you excited for turkey mating season? Because it means that they're about to start filming a brand new season of Fowling in Love. Fowling in Love? Yeah, get it? Foul? Like a bird? Uh-huh. It's only like the highest-rated turkey matchmaking reality show on the planet. Surprised you never heard of it, Guy Raz. Well, it never occurred to me that someone would even make a show like that, Mindy. What's it about? Oh, great question, Guy Raz. I didn't ask. They take one female turkey and then introduce her to five eligible turkey bachelors. Then she asks them a bunch of questions and has to decide which Tom she wants to take home Which Tom? Oh yeah, male turkeys are often called Toms What's that? Someone say my name? Nothing Thomas Fingerling, go back to your gardening I ain't gardening, I'm stealing Mr. Rozzy's turnips Hey! Oh no, it's old farmer Rozzy What? Uh, I'm just gonna keep taking your turnips, okay? Anywho, the season premiere is today You wanna watch with me? I don't know, Mindy I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of reality TV Oh, really? Well, you seemed pretty sold on reality TV When Sonny and Ned got together at the end of Lizard Island Well, yeah But that was because of the scientific observations That the show was based on Uh-huh It's true Well, would it help to know that this show is also based on real-life scientific observations? Really? Yeah. The show is based on research from Dr. Richard Buckles. He's a professor of biology at the University of Mississippi. Oh, yeah. I think I've read some of his work. So, what do you say, Guy Raz? Are you in or are you in? Well, I guess so, Mindy. Sure. I'm in. Yes! Reggie's waiting just around the corner. Oh, great. Reggie's coming to watch it, too? Well, I don't know if he's going to watch the show, but he did say he'd give us a ride. A ride? To where? Hollywood, Guy Raz. Hollywood? What are we doing flying to Hollywood? I've got us two tickets for a live taping. A live taping? Really? Yeah. Reggie knows a turkey who does casting for the show, so... And he was able to get you tickets? Yeah, but we've got to make a move. The taping starts in ten minutes. Ten minutes? Yeah! Why do you think I ran all the way over here? Come on, follow me. Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run. Hey, Reg, you ready to go? Sorry, I know I'm a little late, but Guy Raz needed some convincing. All right, Guy Raz, come on. All right. Let me just climb aboard Reggie, and I'll pull you up. Come on, grab my hand. There you go, there you go. Whew, okay. Uh, good morning, passengers, and welcome to Reggie Air Flight, direct from here to Hollywood, California. And in the event of an emergency, adopt the brace position, and put your head between your legs, and kiss your booty goodbye. What? Thank you, and have a pleasant flight. All right, Reg, we're all strapped in, and here we go Coming in for a landing Gyros Hang on tight! Okay. Whew! Nice landing, Reg. Very smooth. You been practicing? You still in one piece back there, Gyros? Yup. Great. Let's unbuckle and hop off here. Ow. Hollywood, California. You can smell the fake tan. Oh, okay, Reg. What was that? Oh, Reggie's just going to pitch his movie script to a couple of studios while we're here. Oh, great. Come on, Guy Raz. We're going to be late for the taping. Okay, Mindy, I'm right behind you. Hmm, okay, where is it? Oh, I think it's behind this door that says pirate. Mindy, I think that says private. Ah! Mindy? Uh-oh. Hey, you can't be here. Oh, sorry, officer. We're actually here for a taping of, um, what was it called again, Mindy? Fowling in Love. Right, Fowling in Love. And we seem to have gotten a little lost. Tickets to Fowling in Love, eh? Uh-huh. You lucky ducks. Phew. You want to head over to Studio 4-H. Over that way. Great. Thanks for the help. Thanks, buddy. No worries. Have a good time. Come on, Gyros. The show's about to start. Wack, wack, wack, wack, wack, wack, wack. Opening the door. So, Mindy, before it starts, tell me a little more about the research that this show is based on. What was his name again? Dr. Richard Buchholz? Yeah. Great memory, Gyros. Thank you. Okay, so this researcher has been observing wild turkeys in North America for decades, and over that time, he's noticed a couple of things that turkeys do to try to attract one another. You mean different things that the males do to try and get the attention of the females? Yeah, it turns out they're super picky when it comes to selecting a mate. Okay, so do they have some kind of mating dance, or is it more about what they look like? Well, that's what we're about to find out, Guy Raz. Hey, look! Studio 4-H! We're here! Oh, great! Come on, let's sneak in and try to find a seat. Wow, this is quite a set, Mindy. I know. Looks like they really went all out this season. Look over there, Mindy. I think there's some spare seats right there. Oh, yeah. Good eye, Guy Raz. Come on, let's go get them. Excuse me. Thanks, sorry. I'm just going to... Just not on your phone. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to step on you. Oh, excuse me. Don't lift your legs a little bit. Sorry. Oh, my apologies. I am so excited! Oh, Mindy, I think it's starting. Hello, and welcome to Fowling in Love! That's right, the only show that's dedicated to helping young turkeys find their one true mate. Right this minute, backstage is one lovely female turkey and five eligible young turkey bachelors Who are hoping to be her top Are we just about ready to meet these birds? Alright, alright, everyone, please welcome our first contestant, the beautiful Butterball Butterball is a wild North American turkey who comes to us all the way from New England. She enjoys long walks in the forest and using her big ol' claws to scratch at piles of leaves. What a character! And now, let's meet the five male turkeys that will compete for Butterball's heart. These plump young fellows are from all over the United States. From San Francisco, California, to Burlington, Vermont. Please welcome to the stage our contestants Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, and Tom You said it, Butterball What a crap Wait, Mindy, they're all called Tom? Yeah, remember I told you that male turkeys are sometimes called Toms? Yeah, but I thought that at least they'd have different names Doesn't that get super confusing? Oh, yeah. And on top of that, most of these turkey flocks are related to each other. Why is that? Well, because they all stick together and try to help each other out. How? So they all collectively decide that one of them should be the one to get the girl, and the rest of them will spend the entire time trying to make him look good. You mean they'll try to convince the female turkey that one of the turkeys in their squad is the one for her? Yeah, they'll hype him up, show off his best qualities, try to make him look good, you know? Oh, look, they're about to start. All right, all right, folks, let's get started. Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, and Tom, our first question is for you. What would you say is your most attractive feature? You may have a moment to decide as a group. And time's up. Do you Toms have an answer? One at a time. One at a time. Tom, why don't you speak for the group, please? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. All right. The Toms are in agreement, and they have decided their most attractive feature is their snooze. Oh! And more specifically, they agree that Tom there, third from the left, has the best, most attractive snood among them His snood, huh? Isn't that the fleshy little bit of skin that sort of hangs over the male's beaks? Yeah, how'd you know? Well, I once read a book on turkey anatomy Really? Oh, yeah, it was really fascinating, Mindy I find that hard to believe Well, I guess that snood on the turkey third from the end is pretty long, but I don't understand Why would that be attractive to female turkeys? The snoo doesn't do anything, right? Right I mean I guess they can make it change color sometimes but aside from that it a pretty useless appendage So if that the case why do the female turkeys care about it at all Well many of the researchers believe that it might be due to the fact that if a turkey is able to grow a really long snood, then it must also be pretty healthy. Like, it's got energy to spare. I guess that does make sense. I mean, if a male turkey is so healthy that it's able to grow a big, long snood, then It's probably also likely that any little chicks that the turkey has Would also be pretty healthy Exactoritos So what else do female turkeys look out for? Oh, well keep watching, we're about to find out Alright, alright, you dudes with snoods Butterball likes your answer But this next question is going to be a little more difficult That's right, it's time for Multiple Choice Is everybody ready? Tom, you paying attention? No, not you, Tom. You're doing great. You, Tom. Yes, you. Are you ready? Okay, here is your multiple choice. After the snood, which of the following attributes do you think is most attractive? Number one, caruncles. Those are the pebble-like bumps on their heads and necks. Yeah, I know. Number two, skull caps. That's the toughened skin on top of the turkey's head. I know. Number three, spurs. Those are the talons on the ends of their legs. I know, Mindy. Or number four, beards. Oh, those are the tufts of feathers on the fronts of their chest. Mindy, I read a book about all of this. I know what a turkey beard is. Be quiet. Oh, sorry. I'll give you a moment to discuss amongst yourselves. So wait, the female turkeys have to consider all of these things when selecting a mate? Yeah, but some of them are more important than others. Let's see if this group of Toms picks right. All right, all right. It sounds like the Toms are ready to answer. Let's hear it. What did you decide? The beard! Very interesting. Now, tell us, how did you decide that the beard, the dark, hair-like tuft of chest feathers, is the most attractive quality in a mate? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Because a vibrant coat of feathers means a clean bill of health. Very good. And you all believe that Tom, third from the left, with the best snood, also has the most vibrant beard? And how about you, Butterball? What do you say? Do you agree with these fellas? Wow! Strong words! Tom, third from the left, has taken a large lead thanks to the encouraging words from the other four Toms. Ladies and gentlemen, this competition is all but decided. Oh, I love love! Wow, Mindy, these other toms are really hyping up this turkey third from the end, huh? Yeah, like I said, this is what they do They go around in blocks and support each other like this Amazing, but why would they do that? I mean, wouldn't it be more advantageous for them to all try and find their own mating partner? Well, in the grand scheme of things, turkeys that are supported by other turkeys like this Are seven times more likely to find a mate Wow, that's quite a statistical advantage. Yeah, and since most of these turkeys are brothers, if just one of them finds a mate, it helps their families to continue to grow for generations to come. Wow. All right, all right, it's time for Butterball to pick a mate. Butterball, who's it going to be? Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, or Tom? Oh, and there it is! Tom, third from the left, is the winner! Congratulations, Butterball. You have successfully fallen in love. That's right. What a wonderful competition. And another beautiful step in the ongoing conservation efforts to protect the wild American turkey. That's all the time we have for today, folks. Make sure to join us next week for another episode of... Fowl in Love! What's the duck? Oh, that's just my phone telling me I have a text message. You can see here. Oh, it's Reggie. Oh, what does it say? Uh, it says he wants to meet us outside. He has a big surprise? Huh, I wonder what it could be. Me too. Let's go find out. So Mindy, what did that host mean when he said that this was another step forward in conserving the American turkey? Well, that's another reason why this show is so great, Guy Raz. Why? Because conservation programs that help bring turkeys together to have lots of little turkey babies is the main reason that the wild North American turkey has made a comeback in the last few years. And a lot of those conservation successes are based on research like the one this show was based on. Yeah, that's why shows like Fowling in Love are so important. Right. Reggie! What's the big news, Reggie? What is it? A movie deal. You mean they finally bought your script, Rockin' Reggie? Oh, congratulitos, Reg. You're gonna be famous. I mean, more famous. This calls for a celebration. Milkshakes, anyone? Yeah, I'm sure they have birdseed flavor. This is L.A. I could go for a birdseed milkshake. Wow in the world, we'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you. Hey, grownups. Spring is right around the corner. And as schedules fill up with activities and travel let iXL help you stay on top of your child learning IXL is an award online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling It offers interactive practice in math, language arts, science, and social studies for grades pre-K through 12th. IXL offers personalized learning for every child and gives parents clear insight into their progress. At Tinkercast, making learning fun is our bread and butter. So we love that IXL has games, awards, and celebrations to keep students motivated and engaged. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And Wow in the World listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXL.com slash wow. Visit IXL.com slash wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Hello! It's me, Carly Q, from Who Went Wow Mystery Edition, and I have big news to share. I've learned a lot on my time-traveling adventures over the years, like what to pack when you're traveling to Victorian England, or the must-try foods when you're visiting the Viking Age. Spoiler alert, the food is pretty good, but they don't have pie yet, which is a bummer. I can't wait to share my time travel tips and tricks with you all. You can listen to my new bite-sized episodes in the Who, When, Wow podcast feed now. Looks like lunch break is over. That's it. Back to the show. Wow in the world. Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World. After the beep, get ready to record. Hi, I'm Ania Guy-Ross. I'm Presley, and I'm from Florida. My wow in the world is that Mercury is slowly shrinking over time. Bye. Thanks. I love your show. Hi, I'm Ania Guy-Ross. My name is Max, and I live in Berkeley, California. My wow in the world is that blue whales can have hearts that can be as big as a car. Isn't that crazy? Say hi to Reggie. Woo-hoo! Static man. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Dennis. Ahoy there. And the stray cats. Bye. Hi. My name is Not and I live in Los Angeles. My wow is that my mouth produces one liter of saliva a day. Say hi to Reggie and Static Man but I know Static Man is Dennis. Bye. What? No, I'm not static, man. We just look alike and sound alike. Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross. My name's Elise, and I am from the Woodlands, Texas, and I am 10 years old. My wow in the world is that some lizards can detach their tails if they are caught by a predator. 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My wow is that scientists will dress up as an adult panda in front of panda orphans to teach them to live with pandas and not humans. Bye! Ended Messages Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me, Guy Raz. Original sound design and music editing is done by Tyler Thole with help from our supervising producer, Jed Anderson. You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis, Thomas Fingerling, Reggie, and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show. Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker, and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast. Our theme song was composed and performed by three-time Grammy nominees, The Pop-Ups. Find them at thepopups.com. Special thanks to Steph Sosa, Henry Moskal, Anna Daniker, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger, Sana Ali-Mohamed, Anna Zagorski, and all of the other Tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ. 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