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Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
44.8909, -93.1713
Field Notes
Description:
Adult male turkeys, called "gobblers," are very large birds weighing over 25 lbs. in our area. The males have dark iridescent body feathers that may be russet, green, brown, and black depending upon the quality of the light; wings are lighter and striped. Males have bare skin on their heads that change color depending upon their state of mind. For instance, red when they are fully aroused and ready to fight to blue when they are being less aggressive. Males also have a beard of specialized bristly feathers that protrudes from their breast. Females are smaller, have darker, duller heads and bodies and typically no beard.
Habitat:
Turkeys range across the US and Mexico in habitat ranging from well-watered deciduous forest, to arid open parklands and wooded river bottoms.
Notes:
The turkey in this photo is the eastern subspecies, Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. Turkeys are normally very wary and extremely difficult to approach as they have excellent hearing and eyesight. This particular bird was a member of a larger flock and seemed relatively comfortable with my presence. I sat down in the leaves about 40 feet from them, but it wasn't long before several turkeys fed to within just a few feet. They gave me some great views into their lives as they fed among the fallen leaves (second photo; hen feeding), preened, interacted with each other, and dust-bathed (fourth photo).
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