Likely Wild Turkey; also called Turkey

A substantial dark flight feather with a pale shaft and downy base, consistent with a large ground-dwelling galliform. Adult Wild Turkeys are large, long-legged birds with broad wings, fan-shaped tails, and seasonal male courtship displays.

Overall dark brown to charcoal with subtle pale brown edging or bars on some barbs; the shaft is pale, and a fluffy gray-white base is visible. Lighting and image detail limit reliable pattern identification.

Mostly pennaceous, interlocking barbs, with loose, downy plumulaceous barbs near the base; some edges appear separated or worn.

Prominent, pale, fairly sturdy rachis; long dark barbs angle outward, with uneven density and a loose, fluffy basal section.

Matte, soft-looking basal down contrasts with a firmer, smoother dark vane; the vane is partly disheveled.

Likely from the wing, based on its large size and asymmetric vane; a tail feather cannot be excluded from this view.

Large size, dark brown-gray vane, pale rachis, and fluffy base support a turkey-like identification, but the visible markings are not diagnostic enough to confirm species.

Wild Turkeys use open woodland, forest edges, and mixed habitats, often foraging in clearings and agricultural areas; they roost in trees.

Wild Turkeys are native to North America and occur widely across the United States, including Washington, where they are established residents.

Wild Turkeys forage on seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects and serve as prey for large predators, especially when young. Their populations are broadly established, though local habitat and hunting management affect abundance.

Large dark feathers from domestic turkey or other galliforms may look similar; some raptor feathers can also be dark, but often show different banding and stiffer, more strongly asymmetric vanes.

Male Wild Turkeys display by fanning their tails, puffing their body feathers, and gobbling; females generally nest on the ground.

Turkey feathers have cultural importance in many Indigenous communities, with meanings and practices varying by nation. Do not assume a found feather is legally collectable; wildlife-feather rules vary by species and jurisdiction.

Compare the feather with verified turkey wing and tail references, checking size, vane asymmetry, and banding; photograph both sides beside a ruler. A single feather is rarely enough for confident species identification.

Fair condition: vane appears somewhat frayed or separated, while the shaft seems largely intact; no clear fault bars or contamination are visible.

Found in Washington