Meleagris Gallopavo

Report by Clay Kruse

Habitat

Habitats preferred by Wild Turkeys include mixed coniferous and deciduous forests. Agricultural fields, orchards, and seasonal marshes are also locations favored by M. gallopavo

Behavior

By day M. gallopavo can be seen grazing in fields and woodlands. At night M. gallopavo roosts in trees. The Wild Turkey is a very wary bird with keen eyesight and hearing. It is also a swift runner and one of the fastest flying game birds alive. A turkey has been recorded flying 88.5 kilometers per hour. In the fall, M. gallopavo flock with several males accompanying several females. There is no calling (unless the flock gets broken up) and there are no displays similar to those seen in the spring. The main objective is to gather enough fat reserves for the winter.

Food Habits

M. gallopavo forage mostly on the ground for seeds, nuts, acorns, buds, berries and insects. Wild Turkeys usually forage during daylight hours, but are sometimes on the ground looking for food shortly before dawn.

Physical Description

Male Wild Turkeys have a dark, iridescent body. The flight feathers are black with brown stripes and are barred with white. M. gallopavo has red wattles, a caruncle, and a blackish breast tuft. The wattle comprises the fleshy lobes hanging down from the chin or throat. The caruncle is the wart-like projections of the skin attached to the upper part of the forehead. The legs are spurred and spurs can grow as long as 3.175 centimeters. The leg scales are pink, pinkish gray, or silver gray. The head of the adult gobbler (male) is red, blue, or white depending on the bird's emotional status and on the season. Female M. gallopavo are smaller and duller than males, and lack a breast tuft. Females also have a grayish head and the back of the neck is feathered