10 Fun Facts About the Wild Turkey
Super vision? Flowing beards? Spiral poo? Yeah, there's plenty to talk about when it comes to this American icon.
The Wild Turkey might be the most recognizable bird in North America. Of course, a big reason for that is due to its strong association with Thanksgiving, when the birds likeness is omnipresent. But the turkey's large size, impressive听plumage, and distinct look听make this bird hard to mistake no matter the time of year. Despite so many Americans being familiar with the Wild Turkey, however, folks might be surprised to discover that they know very little about them鈥攁nd what they think they do know might not be true.听Read on for a cornucopia of听fun facts about everyone's favorite gobbler.
1.)听Turkeys are believed to be named after the country. that early Europeans were reminded of their African Guinea Fowl back home, which was native to听Turkey, and the similarity led to its name.听
2.)听There are only听two species of Wild Turkey: Ours here in North America and the Ocellated Turkey in Central America. The North American Wild Turkey has听five distinct subspecies and also comes in a variety of color morphs.听
3.)听Male turkeys can up to 25 pounds, while the average female is around half that weight. Despite this听heft and their reputation for being听ground dwellers, Wild Turkeys often roost overnight in trees听to avoid predators.听
4.)听听While they might not look like the fastest birds,听Wild Turkeys are surprisingly confident fliers, capable of hitting听60 miles per hour.听They are also more agile than they appear.听
5.) Turkeys听have excellent eyesight, seeing three times more clearly than 20/20 vision. They听can also see in color and have a 270-degree field of vision.听 This鈥攁long with their generally wary nature鈥攇ives them an edge on听both predators and hunters.听
6.) Did you know you can discern a听turkey鈥檚 sex听from its droppings? Male scat is shaped like the letter J, while a female鈥檚 droppings are more听spiral-shaped. And the bigger the poop, the older the bird.听
7.) Wild Turkey populations plummeted in the 19th century due to overhunting and a loss of habitat, with the species听disappearing entirely from New England. Fortunately, Wild Turkey conservation efforts throughout the 20th century led to a sharp rebound throughout their historic range, and now the birds have听taken听over the Northeast and even some Midwest听towns.听
8.)听听Along with their waddles and snoods鈥攖he piece of flesh that dangles from the beak鈥攖urkeys have another standout听feature: beards. The听bundle of feathers sprouting from their chest is known as a turkey beard, and it gets longer听as the听bird ages. While all males have beards, some females also grow听them, though why is still a mystery to scientists.听
9.)听To debunk a popular turkey tale, Benjamin Franklin did not advocate for the turkey as the National Bird. He also didn't besmirch the Bald Eagle, either. In fact, the听 that is often cited as the source of both these "facts" was actually satire.听
10.)听The first听听was given by George H.W. Bush听in 1989, but听reports credit many presidents with the tradition,听 including Abraham Lincoln, whose son took a liking to the turkey destined for Christmas dinner, and Harry Truman, who was the first to appear in a photo op with a turkey that would later be served.
9.)听To debunk a popular turkey tale, Benjamin Franklin did not advocate for the turkey as the National Bird. He also didn't besmirch the Bald Eagle, either. In fact, the听 that is often cited as the source of both these "facts" was actually satire.听
10.)听The first听听was given by George H.W. Bush听in 1989, but听reports credit many presidents with the tradition,听 including Abraham Lincoln, whose son took a liking to the turkey destined for Christmas dinner, and Harry Truman, who was the first to appear in a photo op with a turkey that would later be served.