WILD TURKEY

Meleagris gallopavo

Turkey Facts

• 5,000-6,000 feathers cover the body in patterns called feather tracts

• Feathers keep turkey dry & warm• Allow them to fly• Allow them to show off for opposite

sex• Head & upper part of neck is

featherless

• Feathers exhibit a metallic glittering called iridescence

• Feather colors vary from red to green to copper to bronze to gold

• Male is more colorful• Female is drab brownish to lighter

color to help camouflage with surroundings

• Male turkey is called the gobbler• Female turkey is called the hen• Two major characteristics that

distinguish males from females, Spurs & Beards

• Males begin growing spurs soon after birth

• Spurs can reach up to 2 inches long

• Beards are modified feathers growing out of chest

• Beards grow to an average of 9 inches long but can grow much longer

• 10-20% of hens will have beards• Have excellent vision during the day• Poor night vision• Very mobile

• Turkeys can run up to 25 mph• Turkeys can fly up to 55 mph• Mating season can occur between

February & April• Hens nest in shallow dirt

depressions on the ground• Hens lay a clutch of 10-12 eggs

during a 2-week period, usually laying one egg per day

• Hens will incubate eggs for about 28 days, occasionally turning & rearranging the eggs until they are ready to hatch

• Newly hatched flock must be ready to leave the nest within 12-24 hours to feed

• Young turkeys are called poults

• Poults eat insects, berries & seeds• Adults will eat anything from acorns

& berries to insects & small reptiles• Usually feed in early morning &

afternoon• Like open areas for feeding, mating

& habitat• Forested areas are used as cover

from predators & night roosting sites

• A varied habitat of both open & covered areas is essential for wild turkey survival

• Pittman-Robertson Act helped restore wild turkeys & habitat

• The rocket net allowed wildlife agencies to trap & relocate wild turkeys

• From 30,000 in the early 1900’s to over 7 million today

• Turkeys cannot overpopulate an area and strip it of available food since their diet varies

• Gobblers will mate with multiple hens in a season or day

• An abundance of hens can allow a population to recover from poor hatch years in as few as two years

Predator-Prey Relationship

• Survival of the fittest• Fit individuals maintain a healthy

breeding population• Turkey nests are the main target of

predators• Snakes, skunks, opossums, raccoons,

rodents, dogs, coyotes & crows prey on nests of turkeys

• About ½ of turkey nests make it to hatching

• Poults fall prey to hawks, owls, foxes & bobcats

• Few adults are taken by predators except in situations where the adults are in poor health

Habitat

• Habitat quality also determines how a species will survive predators

• Early successional plant stages provide shelter for poults & nests

• Habitat quality & distribution is more important than the number of predators

Turkey Information

• Largest of the North American game birds

• Adult males weigh between 16 & 24 pounds

• Adult females weigh between 8 & 10 pounds

• Largest wild turkey on record weighed 37 pounds

Feathers

• Males: Iridescent red, green, copper, bronze & gold feathers

• Toms use bright colors for attracting females during breeding season

• Females: Drab, usually brown or gray feathers. Allow hens to camouflage & hide while nesting

Color Phases

• 4 basic color phases• Smokey gray color phase• Melanistic color phase (all black)• Erythritic color phase (reddish

coloration)• Albino color phase (very rare)

Head

• Males: brightly colored, nearly featherless; during breeding season the head color will change between red, white & blue, often in a few seconds

• Females: gray-blue with some small feathers for camouflage

• Carnucles: fleshy growths on the heads of males & females

• Snoods: fleshy protrubances which hang over their bills & can be extended or contracted at will

• Male snoods is much larger than females

• Unsure of what the snoods are for but believed to be developed as a way to attract mates

Beards

• Cluster of long, hair-like feathers grown from the center of the chest, known as a beard

• On males, the average beard is 9” long

• 10-20 percent of hens will grow beards

• Longest beard on record is more than 18” long

Legs

• Reddish orange in color• Have 4 toes on each foot• Males will grow large spurs on the

back of their lower legs• Bony spikes used for defense &

establish dominance• Can grow up to 2” long• Longest spurs on record are 2 ¼” long

Tail

• Usually 12-15 inches long & banded at the tips

• Color bands will vary by subspecies• Males will fan their tails to attract a

mate• Adult males can be distinguished

from juvenile males by the length of tail feathers

History• Early 1900’s most wild turkey

populations had been wiped out due to habitat destruction & commercial harvest.

• Turnaround began with Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act

• Today more than 7 million wild turkeys roam North America with huntable populations in all states except Alaska

• Native to North America• 5 subspecies:

– Eastern– Osceola (Florida)– Rio Grande– Merriam’s – Gould’s

EASTERN

Eastern Subspecies(Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)

• Most common of the wild turkeys• Ranges the entire eastern half of the

United States & farthest north• Found in hardwood & mixed forests• Has been transplanted into

California, Oregon & Washington• Silvestris means “forest” turkey

• Tail feathers tipped with dark buff or chocolate brown

• Breast feathers tipped in black• Toms may measure 4’ tall at

maturity & weigh more than 20 pounds

• Hens may be nearly as tall but usually weigh between 8 & 12 pounds

OSCEOLA

Osceola Subspecies(Melagris gallopavo osceola)

• Also known as the Florida wild turkey• Found only in Florida• Named for Seminole Chief Osceola• Tail feathers tipped in brown• Body feathers appear to have a green

& red tint with less bronze than the Eastern

• Reproductive cycle begins slightly earlier than the Eastern

RIO GRANDE

Rio Grande Subspecies(Melagris gallopavo intermedia)

• Native to the Central Plain States• Similar in appearance to other

subspecies• Tail feathers are yellowish-buff or tan

rather than medium or dark brown• May be found up to 6,000 feet in

elevation• Favors more open habitat than

wooded

• Considered a nomadic bird• May form large flocks of several

hundred birds during winter• Known to travel 10 or more miles

from winter roost sites to nesting areas

• Similar in size to the Osceola• Disproportionately long legs

MERRIAM’S

Merriam’s Subspecies(Melagris gallopavo merriami)

• Found primarily in the Ponderosa Pine, western regions of the U.S.

• Historic range was Arizona, New Mexico & Colorado

• Has been successfully stocked into Nebraska, Washington, California & Oregon

• Habitat dependent

• Males easily distinguished from other subspecies by nearly white feathers on lower back & tail feather margins

• Closely resemble the Gould’s but tail margin is not as pure white nor is the margin of the tail tip quite as wide

• Comparable to the Eastern subspecies in size

• Has a blacker appearance with blue, purple & bronze reflections

• Appear to have a white rump

GOULD’S

Gould’s Subspecies(Melagris gallopavo mexicana)

• 5th but least known subspecies• Found in portions of Arizona & New

Mexico as well as northern Mexico• A mountain bird• Very small numbers along

US/Mexico borders but abundant in northwestern Mexico

• Largest of the 5 subspecies• Resembles the Merriam’s• Have longer legs, larger feet &

larger center tail feathers• Have distinctive white tips on tail

feathers• Body plumage is said to be

somewhat blue-green• Females are more purplish

OCELLATED

Ocellated Turkey(Melagris ocellata)

• Found only on the Yucatan Peninsula• Exists in only a 50,000 square mile

area• Males & females have similar

appearance• Neither grow beards• Have distinct eye-ring of bright red

colored skin

• Legs are much shorter than North American subspecies

• Have longer & more pronounced spurs than N.A. gobblers

• Significantly smaller; males weigh 11-12 pounds & females weigh 6-7 pounds