weighed 16.85 kg, with records of tom turkeys weighing over 13.8 kg uncommon but not rare. Considering its maximum and average weight, it is among the heaviest flying birds in the world.

The wings are relatively small, as is typical of the galliform order, and the wingspan ranges from 1.25 to 1.44 m. The wing chord is only 20 to 21.4 cm. The bill is also relatively small, as adults measure 2 to 3.2 cm in culmen length.