What is an interesting fact about wild turkeys?
Turkeys can clock 18 miles per hour on foot and up to 50 miles per hour in flight. TURKEY FACT #7: Move over, American bald eagle. Ben Franklin called the wild turkey a “bird of courage” and thought it would make a better national symbol.
What are the 6 species of turkey?
The six types of wild turkeys are: Eastern wild turkey, Osceola wild turkey, Gould’s wild turkey, Merriam’s wild turkey, Rio Grande wild turkey, and the Ocellated wild turkey.
What is a group of turkeys called gaggle?
Most people are familiar with the term “flock of pigeons” and even “gaggle of geese,” but fewer may know that a group of turkeys is called a “rafter”. They are often incorrectly referred to as a “gobble” or simply a “flock”. A raft is a “large collection” of something.
What are the 5 subspecies of wild turkeys?
The National Wild Turkey Federation website explains that the two species of turkeys are the North American and the ocellated. The North American species has five subspecies, including the Eastern, Florida (Osceola), Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Gould’s.
What are the five species of wild turkey?
Where the Wild Turkeys Are
- Eastern wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
- Osceola wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo osceola)
- Rio Grande wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)
- Merriam’s wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo merriami)
- Gould’s wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana)
Why are turkeys called rafters?
Its because of their perching behavior According to some weak sources, group of turkeys are called a rafter of turkeys because of their habit of perching on construction rafters to roost or seek shelter from predators during the early days of European occupation of North America.
How far can turkeys see?
Turkeys also have true color vision, as well as 180-degree peripheral vision. With just a slight turn of their head, they can see 360 degrees. Therefore, their eyesight is a serious challenge for bowhunters to overcome.
Why do turkeys eat rocks?
Wild turkeys pick up and swallow gravel and small stones to aid in their digestion of hard food items. Generally, they pick up the stones a few at a time. Some digestion takes place there, but the real process of breaking down food items occurs in the stomach and gizzard.
Are there wild turkeys in the state of Massachusetts?
Wild turkeys, the official game bird of Massachusetts, thrive in a variety of habitats across the Commonwealth, including urban areas. Wild turkeys in Massachusetts At the time of colonial settlement, the wild turkey was widespread in Massachusetts.
What do you need to know about Turkey facts?
TURKEY FACT #1: Enough with gobble, gobble. Turkeys also cluck and purr . A wild turkey shows its wattle and caruncles at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts. The wattle is a skin flap reaching from the beak to the neck. Caruncles are bumps of flesh that cover the birds’ necks and heads.
Which is the most abundant subspecies of wild turkey?
Get the 411 on each subspecies below: Eastern wild turkeys are the most widely distributed subspecies east of the Mississippi River. They are also the most abundant.
How are wild turkeys different from other turkeys?
Another turkey, the ocellated turkey, is a completely separate species and looks quite different from more familiar wild turkeys, with bolder, brighter colors and different wattles. Wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. These birds are omnivorous and will try many different foods.