Smoke Phase Turkeys

For several years now, we've had turkeys that looked whiter than the rest of their flocks. They weren't true albinos, because we could still see darker feathers on their wings and tails.  I finally learned that these turkeys are called "smoke phase" turkeys. This video talks about them in Eugene:

https://kval.com/news/local/mutant-turkey-roaming-eugene,

and this quote explains how they happen:

For answers, I turned to an eastern wild turkey expert, Tony McBride, who is the supervising biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

First of all, McBride explained, the bird was not a hybrid of two different types of turkeys. The unusual plumage, also known as a “smokey phase” or “smokey gray phase,” was caused by a recessive gene.

“If two eastern wild turkeys that have normal coloration also both have that recessive gene, some of their offspring may have the smokey form — like albinism,” he said.https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/2018/01/24/bird-watcher-mystique-smoke-phase-wild-turkey/1047594001/