Wattle (anatomy)

A chicken's wattle hangs from the throat

A Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) with a bright red facial wattle

A wattle is a fleshy dewlap or caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds, goats and other animals. In some birds the caruncle is erectile tissue.

The wattle is frequently an organ of sexual dimorphism. In some cases within the bird world the caruncle has a feather covering, whilst in other cases the feathers are sparse or absent.

Birds

Function

In birds the wattle is often an ornament for courting potential mates. A large wattle is correlated with high testosterone levels, good nutrition, and the ability to evade predators, which in turn suggests a successful mate. It has also been proposed that ornamental organs such as the wattle are also associated with genes coding for disease resistance.

Examples

Birds with wattles include:

• From the neck or throat
  • Birds of the family Casuarius: the Northern, Southern, and Dwarf cassowaries
  • Galliformes (e.g., wild turkeys, chickens)
  • Some vultures
  • Some lapwings
  • Some Australian wattlebirds (Anthochaera spp.)
  • The New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae), which include the Kokako, Tieke or Saddleback, and the Huia
• From below the eyes
  • The African Wattle-eye or Puffback Flycatcher
  • Many male pheasants
  • Spectacled Tyrant

Mammals

Mammals with wattles include:

• Many domestic goats, as a fleshy protuberance hanging either side of the throat
• Some domestic pigs (such as most kunekunes), as a fleshy protuberance hanging either side of the throat

See also

• Comb (anatomy) - the fleshy structure present atop the heads of many Galliform species
• Dubbing - Wattle removal

Notes

• John White. 1790. Voyage to New South Wales
• Richard Bowdler Sharpe. 1888. Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum‎, British Natural History Museum Department of Zoology