Facts About Wild Turkeys

March 16, 2022

They feed on nuts seeds fruits insects and salamanders. This genus is split into two species.

Everything To Know About Wild Turkeys

The North American species has five subspecies including.

Facts about wild turkeys. The Wild turkey is an upland ground bird native to North America one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes a group of game birds which includes grouse pheasants and partridges. The turkey species can be traced back over 20 million years on the North American continent. Males are much larger than females.

The wild turkey of northern central and eastern North America with six sub-species and the ocellated turkey of the Yucatan Peninsula. Wild turkeys are large birds with powerful legs a fleshy lobe called a wattle that hangs from their chin and a fan shaped tail that are just amazing to look at. Including a distinctive gobble produced by males which can be heard a mile away.

Wild Turkey Facts female turkeys are called hens A turkeys diet consists of seeds nuts fruit insects and small lizards. It is the same species as the domestic turkey which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild. 1 Turkeys are more than just big chickens more than 45 million years of evolution separates the two species.

Wild turkeys can reach 30 to 49 inches in length and 5 to 24 pounds of weight. Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalisations. The Eastern Florida Osceola Rio Grande Merriams and GouldsThe Ocellated turkey is a separate species.

2 The wild turkey was hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s when the. The Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo is one of only two birds native to North America that has been regularly domesticated the other being the Muscovy Duck. There are around 7 millions wild turkeys in the wild and they are no longer on the list of endangered animals.

Wild turkeys or Meleagris gallopavo if you want to be scientific about it can be wild and crazy fun when you consider how unique and incredible these birds are. The English name turkey derives from historic shipping routes that passed through the country of Turkey on their way to delivering the birds to European markets. Wild turkeys typically forage on forest floors but can also be found in grasslands and swamps.

The modern domesticated turkey descends from the wild turkey. Turkeys have a wingspan of up to six feet which makes them the largest bird in their natural habitat of the open forest by far. Individual turkeys have unique voices.

Turkeys are large birds native to the Americas in the genus Meleagris. Interesting Wild turkey Facts.

Twelve Unusual And Fascinating Facts About Wild Turkeys The National Wildlife Federation Blog The National Wildlife Federation Blog