BIRD OF THE MONTH: WILD TURKEY

Wild Turkeys are large, spectacular birds with plump bodies, long legs, wide rounded tails and a small head on a long, slim neck. They are dark overall with a bronze-green iridescence to most of their plumage. Their wings are dark and boldly barred with white. Their rump and tail feathers are broadly tipped with rufous or white. The bare skin on the head and neck varies from red to blue to gray.
Wild Turkeys live in mature forests interspersed with clearings and fields. They are particularly attracted to forests that include nut trees such as oak, hickory or beech. Here in Washington, Wild Turkeys can be found in the south central, north eastern and south eastern parts of the state.
Scratching leaf litter out of the way with their strong feet, Wild Turkeys travel in flocks searching the ground for nuts, berries, insects and snails. They usually get around by walking but they can also run and fly. When threatened, females tend to fly while males tend to run.
In early spring, males will gather in clearings and perform courtship displays. They puff up their body feathers, flare their tails and strut slowly while giving a gobbling call. At sundown, Wild Turkeys fly into the lower limbs of trees and move upward branch by branch to find a high spot to roost for the night.
Wild Turkeys nest on the ground. The female scratches a shallow depression in the soil and lines the nest with dead leaves and other available plant material. She will lay 4 - 17 eggs that are yellowish-tan with reddish-brown or pink spots. The chicks hatch well-developed and covered with tawny brown, pink and gray down.
Populations of Wild Turkeys increased sharply between 1966 and 2014 and today they are numerous.
Other cool facts:
- the Wild Turkey and Muscovy Duck are the only two domesticated birds native to the New World
- centuries ago, native people of Mexico domesticated Wild Turkeys. In the early 1500's, explorers brought Wild Turkeys to Europe from Mexico. When the English colonists settled on the Atlantic Coast, they brought domesticated turkeys with them
- the English name for the bird could be a holdover from early shipping routes that passed through Turkey on their way to Europe
- male Wild Turkeys provide no parental care. Hatched chicks follow the female who feeds them for a few days until they learn to find food on their own. The chicks band into groups composed of several hens and their broods. Winter groups sometimes exceed 200 turkeys
- Wild Turkeys have a better known fossil record than most other birds due to their large size, compact bones, and long-standing popularity as a dinner item. Turkey fossils have been unearthed across the southern United States and Mexico dating from more than 5 million years ago
- when they need to, Wild Turkeys can swim by tucking their wings in close, spreading their tails and kicking