Wild Turkeys photo by Cathy Lozo
I just wanted to pass on a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone along with some information on the bird that was almost our national bird, the Wild Turkey. This is the bird that Benjamin Franklin wanted as our national bird. It is indeed a beautiful bird, especially if you see it in flight. In flight they can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour! This is what the Wild Turkey sounds like:
[audio:http://www.buildyourownbirdhouseplans.com/audio/wildturkey2.mp3]The Wild Turkey is the largest game bird native to North America. The male (approximately 18 pounds) is substantially larger than the female (approximately 8 pounds). They average 3 1/2 feet in length with a wingspan of 4 3/4 feet.
Male Turkey Displaying
The male bird has an iridescent body of red, purple, green, copper, bronze and gold and typically has a beard averaging 9 inches long. His flight feathers are barred with white, he has red waddles and his bare skinned head is blue and pink. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and gray.
Although turkeys often feed in woods, for mating they move to areas that provide visibility such as open woods, fields, pastures and shrubby growth using their excellent eyesight to spot danger. Open areas near woods or brush give displaying males and the females they attract a quick means of escape.
Hens nest on the ground at the base of a tree or shrub or in tall grass. At night they roost in trees. Wild Turkeys are omnivorous, foraging mostly on the ground. They prefer eating acorns and nuts of various trees, including hazelnuts, chestnuts, hickory and pinyon pine. They also eat various seeds and berries such as juniper and bearberries as well as insects. They also eat a wide variety of grasses which make up around 80% of their diet.
The Wild Turkey doesn’t look or act much like the domestic bird we usually consume for our Thanksgiving dinner these days. They are much smarter and quicker than the farmyard birds. The range and numbers of the Wild Turkey had decreased at the beginning of the 20th century due to hunting and loss of habitat. Attempts to use game farm turkeys for reintroduction programs failed, however in the 1940’s, wild birds were caught and transported to new areas, where they quickly became established and flourished. These birds now inhabit 49 states and several Canadian provinces.
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We had 2 wild turkeys walking across our front lawn today in a residential area east of Toronto, Ontario. Your website helped me to identify them so thank you! I certainly wasn’t expecting to see them. Would they be nesting now?
@Mary yes, Wild Turkeys are nesting now. They usually begin nesting in March. They are single brooded, usually laying 8-12 eggs. They nest on the ground usually under shrubby cover. The female incubates the eggs by herself for 28 days. The chicks are born precocial meaning that they can leave the nest and forage for themselves almost immediately after hatching. Amazingly, they can fly into trees when they are only 2 weeks old!