Wild turkey

Heaviest member of the order Galliformes, agile and fast fliers with good eyesight during day and poor vision at night

Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Native to North America and ancestor to the domestic turkey, it is one of the two extant turkey species. The Wild turkey is omnivorous and prefers to live in hardwood forests. Turkeys prefer to forage with squirrels and deer for predation. In the breeding season, polygamous males produce a gobbling sound that can be heard a mile away.

It plays a vital role in the culture of native American tribes and is considered a favorite meal. In 1973, when Public Wild Turkey was established, there were roughly 1.5 million wild turkeys in North America. The number exceeded 6.7 million after 40 years. The population is again decreasing to 6-6.2 million birds.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Australia
2018
Breeding
Canada
2018
Mexico
2018
New Zealand
2018
Breeding
United States
2018
Breeding: Hawaiian Is.

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No