Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavoOrder: GALLIFORMES Family: Turkeys and Grouse (Phasianidae)

Codes: Common Name: WITU Scientific Name: MELGAL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176136

Breeding Location:

Forest, Grasslands, open

Breeding Type:

Polygamous

Breeding Population:

Rare to fairly common

Egg Color:

White or buff marked or spotted with brown or red

Number of Eggs:

8 - 20

Incubation Days:

27 - 28

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with grasses and leaves.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Wild Turkey: Large, ground-walking bird, iridescent dark brown overall with black and green bars, small, featherless, blue head, and red throat wattles. Breast beard (modified feathers) is black. Legs have spurs. Female is smaller, duller, and usually lacks spurs and beard. Ancestor of the domestic turkey, which shows white-tipped tail instead of brown-tipped tail.

Range and Habitat

Wild Turkey: Resident in much of the southern U.S. from Arizona east, as far north as New England. Introduced to many western states, including California. Inhabits oak and pine forests; young birds need open area where they can forage for insects.

Breeding and Nesting

Wild Turkey: Eight to twenty white or buff eggs, marked or spotted with brown or red, are laid in a shallow ground depression lined with a few leaves and grass and built at the base of a tree or in dense vegetation. Incubation ranges from 27 to 28 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Wild Turkey: Feeds on seeds, acorns, leaves, grains, berries, and insects. Young birds feed primarily on insects for the first few weeks of life, and then shift to a diet similar to that of adults.

Readily Eats

Berries, Cracked Corn

Vocalization

Wild Turkey: Makes gobbling calls similar to those of domestic turkey. Also utters clucking calls "cluk, cluk, cut, putt."

Similar Species

Wild Turkey: None in range.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey: Large, ground-walking bird, iridescent dark brown overall with black and green bars, small, featherless, blue head that changes color according to mood, and red throat wattles. Breast beard (modified feathers) is black. The legs have spurs. It is the largest game bird in North America.

● Song: "cluk, cluk, cut, putt"

● Foraging & Feeding: Wild Turkey: Feeds on seeds, acorns, leaves, grains, berries, and insects. Young birds feed primarily on insects for the first few weeks of life, and then shift to a diet similar to that of adults.

● Breeding & nesting: Wild Turkey: Eight to twenty white or buff eggs, marked or spotted with brown or red, are laid in a shallow ground depression lined with a few leaves and grass and built at the base of a tree or in dense vegetation. Incubation ranges from 27 to 28 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Wild Turkey: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Swift powerful flight for short distances with rapid wing beats and deep strokes.

● Range & Habitat: Wild Turkey: Resident in much of the southern U.S. from Arizona east, as far north as New England. Introduced to many western states, including California. Inhabits oak and pine forests; young birds need open area where they can forage for insects.

^BreedingPolygamous

^PopulationRare to fairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight260.8 Ounces

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Wild Turkey

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Wild Turkey

Flight Pattern