Why do turkeys drown themselves in the rain?

The notion that a “dumb” animal would be fascinated by something as mundane as rain is another anthropomorphization. The concept of “fascination” requires a level of intelligence that even the smartest turkeys do not possess. read more

My grandfather told me that domesticated turkeys are so stupid that, upon feeling the first drop of rain, they will look up at the sky, fascinated. They will continue looking straight up into the rain, with their mouths open, until they drown. read more

So the myth probably comes from turkeys who are startled by a loud thunderclap and due to genetic defects, their neck muscles lock up in a weird position with their beaks pointing at the sky. Paper about tetanic torticollar sparms in turkeys: SAVAGE, THOMAS F., JAMES A. HARPER, and HAROLD N. ENGEL. read more

Turkeys tend to tilt their heads to the side to get a better look at something. If a turkey were to tilt its head backwards to look at the rain, it would likely have trouble focusing on the raindrops. read more