Wild Turkey

A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large game bird native to North America. They are known for their distinctive gobbling sound and are a popular symbol of American Thanksgiving.

Male wild turkeys, called toms or gobblers, are large birds with iridescent feathers that can appear bronze, green, or red in the sunlight. They have a featherless, reddish head and neck with growths called caruncles, and a fleshy flap of skin called a snood that hangs over their beak. They also have a beard—a tuft of coarse bristles that grows from their chest. Females, called hens, are smaller and have a duller, brownish plumage for camouflage.

Wild turkeys can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and grasslands, from southern Canada to Mexico. They are ground-dwelling birds that roost in trees at night. They are omnivores that forage for food on the forest floor, eating acorns, nuts, berries, roots, insects, and small reptiles.

Wild turkeys are social birds that live in flocks. During the spring mating season, toms perform elaborate courtship displays, fanning their tail feathers, strutting, and gobbling to attract hens. While they are large birds, they are capable of strong, short bursts of flight and can run at speeds of up to 25 mph.