Revered and filled with symbolism, turkeys are one of the most recognizable birds out there. And these easy turkey drawings will help you in drawing them!
As a symbol of prosperity and nourishment, turkeys have been prominent in the history of North America, appearing in the rich folklore of Native Americans and then on the table of the first European settlers.
Turkeys aren’t just the chicken’s beefier cousin—there’s more to them than meets the eye.
So if you’re ready to learn more about turkeys and how to draw them, let’s start sketching!
Materials for Easy Turkey Drawings
8 Turkey for Kindergarteners
Since turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving, children from families who observe the festivity are exposed to this plump bird every year.
Activities involving the turkey aren’t scarce as hens’ teeth, especially around Thanksgiving. Here are some projects children can draw!
1. Easy Turkey Drawing
The turkey is often depicted as brown with red and orange feathers, far from the nuanced greyish hue of a real wild turkey.
A brown coloration, though, makes it easier to remember for impressionable schoolkids.
That’s certainly the case with Paper Flo Designs‘ turkey drawing—unbothered by the subtle colors of the turkey.
2. Turkey for Beginners
Sometimes the drawings that appeal the most to children are the ones that are the least faithful to real life. And that’s absolutely fine.
Take doodleacademy’s drawing—a turkey created with cloud-like feathers and twigs for feet, simplified to make it less daunting for preschoolers.
3. Simple Turkey Drawing
We move to a turkey that’s closer to reality with each passing drawing. Articco Drawing fleshes out their bird with more details, like the large, distinguishing feathers on its rear.
The sketch also includes one of the more noticeable features of the turkey—the snood, or the fleshy part that hangs on the turkey’s beak.
4. Thick Turkey Drawing
It’s a common misconception to think that the turkey is too heavy to fly. Turkeys are meaty, but they haven’t lost their ability to fly, which they use to escape predators.
It might not look like it, but this turkey drawn by Easy Drawing Art can reach speeds of 55 miles per hour, outpacing some fast land mammals, like the Pronghorn antelope.
That wing and leg power is owed to the juicy part that we indulge in during Thanksgiving.
Dolphin is another animal that has hidden depths. Explore it with these easy dolphin drawings.
5. Leafy Turkey Art
Don’t hesitate to let your imagination soar—just like this leafy turkey drawing by Deep Space Sparkle.
This drawing becomes especially relevant in the fall season when the foliage starts to pile and Thanksgiving waits around the corner.
6. Handprint Turkey for Preschoolers
A common activity in the classroom, handprint art is preferred by many primary school teachers because of its engaging nature.
Each handprint created is as unique as the artist’s fingerprint. There are plenty of ways to transform the handprint, and here’s a way to make it into a turkey—a guide shared by Kitchen Table Classroom.
7. Turkey Drawing and Craft
Here’s an intriguing turkey drawing-slash-craft presented by Art and doodles for Kids.
8. Intriguing Turkey Burger
Hold on, it’s not what you think!
This drawing by Art for Kids Hub is a turkey in the form of a burger. Or maybe a burger with the turkey’s soul?
It’s getting too philosophical for me. Let’s get on with the drawing.
Disclaimer: no turkeys were harmed in making this burger. In other words, there was no fowl play.
6 Cartoon Turkey
There’s a fair share of turkeys drawn in a cartoon style. Let’s look at some of them.
To get a gist of how cartoons are drawn, head on to these Fortnite drawings to get an idea.
9. Nine-Step Turkey Drawing
What are often the characteristics of a cartoon drawing? One notable trait can be found in the eyes: they’re goofier and often exaggerated.
While the eye of this turkey by How To Draw For Kids is not exaggerated, it is eye-catching for its simplicity—a circle with a dot in the middle.
10. Doe-Eyed Turkey
Another way an eye can be drawn is by making it larger than usual. Take Art Projects For Kids‘s turkey drawing, for example.
My favorite aspect of this drawing is the tail, perfectly shaped like a fan.
11. Cartoon-Style Turkey
A perfect circle is not something that you’d find in nature; but not in Made With Happy‘s turkey drawing.
Grab a cup or a compass to draw this turkey’s head. Don’t forget the snood; otherwise, it’d be indistinguishable from other birds.
12. Awkward-Looking Turkey
Unlike this clumsy turkey drawn by Drawing How To Draw, these birds are smarter than one would think.
During the breeding season, males perform “gobbling,” which is a vocalization unique to turkeys and meant to attract a mate.
I know other animals can do that, too, but their behavior isn’t as simple as one might think.
13. Straightforward Cartoon Turkey
Cartooning Club Junior’s turkey is what a cartoon turkey resembles the closest, in my opinion. The popping eyes and the stocky body and curvy lines are staples in cartoon-style drawings.
By the way, learn how to draw a chicken—the turkey’s leaner cousin.
14. A Turkey Cook
In another universe, turkeys are the ones who sit at the top of the food chain instead of humans.At least, that’s what I think of when seeing this turkey cook drawn by WikiHow.
I don’t even want to know what the turkey is cooking.
5 Cute Turkey
You have to admit: turkeys aren’t the prettiest birds out there.
Somehow, these drawings below managed to win me over with their adorable style.
Check out some of our more colorful bird drawings.
15. Pretty Turkey Bird
How to distinguish a female turkey from a male one? One is to look at their size, with females being smaller; another is noting whether they have eyelashes on fleek as the one presented in HTDraw’s video tutorial.
Jokes aside, the color of this turkey is more accurate than half of the drawings on the list.
Male turkeys, known as toms, are able to change their head color from blue to red. But the more impressive part is they’re able to do so based on their mood!
16. Adorable Turkey Art
Turkeys are known to be precocial animals, meaning they’re capable of independent activity from the moment they hatch.
That explains how this baby turkey sketched by instantly had makeup when it came out of its shell.
17. Rainbow Turkey
To attract a potential hen—the name of a female turkey—a tom’s feather tends to be more vibrant than usual.
As such, it may produce an iridescent effect, the striking glittery look that’s typical of other birds, too, like peacocks.
It may not be as subtle as a real turkey, but those colors are just as beautiful as the ones conveyed in this drawing by Kids Art Now.
18. Pudgy Turkey Drawing
Part owl, part turkey, this sketch Cute Tea Drawings will endear those who love squishy-looking things.
Interested in owls, too? Then, head on to these owl Perler bead patterns!
It’s Not Thanksgiving, But We’re Having Turkey!
These easy turkey drawings are a reminder to appreciate these animals not only on Thanksgiving, but all year round!
If you’re not full from this feast then head on to other fulfilling activities: