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Bird's-Eye View: Wild turkey is a majestic, quick, clever native bird
Marbry Hopkins Photo
Eastern Wild Turkeys are sometimes seen along the Muddy Creek Greenway.
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Published: November 25, 2008
Updated: 11/24/2008 08:40 pm
William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Plantation, wrote in his journal about the first Thanksgiving of 1621, "(a)nd besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many."
The account was written several years after the fact, and whether turkey actually was on the menu that day is not clear. Even if Bradford's memory was faulty, the association of turkey with our holiday feast was born.
Today, the turkey most of us eat is a domestic offshoot of its wild cousin, raised on farms or under rigidly controlled conditions in mass-production sheds. Usually white in color and perceived to be unintelligent and awkward, the domestic bird has only a passing resemblance to the wild turkey. Wild male or "tom" turkeys are majestic birds, and both males and females have sufficient sense and mobility to make them a worthy challenge even for skilled hunters.
Nevertheless, hunting and land clearing led to the elimination of the wild turkey from most areas of the country. As early as the 1830s, John James Audubon observed that few remained east of the Appalachians. On Christmas bird counts between 1900 and 1940, the species usually went unreported nationwide. Because of reintroduction programs started after World War II, however, the species now thrives across much of its original range and into the western United States. Nearly 78,000 were reported during last year's count.
Largest game bird
The wild turkey is native to North America. It is our largest game bird, though more slender than the domestic variety. Males approach 4 feet in length, and their wingspan can exceed 5 feet. Several subspecies exhibit some color variations, but the Eastern Wild Turkey has a blend of brown, red, green, purple and bronze feathers that become iridescent in sunlight. Males also have a tuft or "beard" of feathers that hangs down from the chest. Females are somewhat duller and often grayer in color. Some females also display a beard, but only the male creates a fan-shape display with its tail.
The Eastern Wild Turkey prefers a habitat that includes a mix of hardwood forests and open clearings. But they also can be found in wooded swamps, cultivated fields or bottomland near wooded areas. They forage in flocks, looking for acorns, nuts, seeds and berries. But they also get protein from insects and amphibians. Turkeys are not migratory, but they can wander some distance in their search for food.
Although we usually see turkeys walking, they are strong flyers for short distances and usually roost in trees. They also have great eyesight and, wary of hunters, they walk, run or fly away rapidly when they sense danger.
Turkey courtship begins with males gobbling to attract mates. They also display their tails, inflate face wattles and scrape or drum on the ground to establish territories. Males are polygamous, and flocks typically have several hens for every tom. Toms often court in pairs, probably to improve the chances of success for less-dominant males. After mating, hens find nest sites on the ground in woody areas and lay from eight to 15 eggs over several days. After hatching, the chicks leave the nest within 24 hours and feed themselves. But their mother still tucks them in at night.
Don't be surprised if you encounter a wild turkey in Forsyth County. They are commonly seen in the Pfafftown area, and a breeding flock roams near the Muddy Creek Greenway. Turkeys also have been spotted at Historic Bethabara, and there certainly is appropriate habitat at Horizons Park and in northeastern parts of the county.
Ben Franklin once wrote to his daughter that our national bird should be the wild turkey -- not the scavenging bald eagle. "For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America…."
As I reflect on the wild turkey's place in our culture this Thanksgiving week, I see merit in Mr. Franklin's notion.
Tonight, the Audubon Society of Forsyth County's monthly program will feature John Gerwin, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, speaking on "Flooding, Philanthropy and Philopatry: Twelve Years with a Population of Swainson's Warblers." The public is invited to this free program, which will begin at 7 p.m. at SciWorks.
■ Bird's-Eye View is a joint column by Ron Morris and Phil Dickinson. Today's column was written by Dickinson, a legal writer who has been an active birder for 15 years. He is a past president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County and chairs the conservation committee. Morris retired after 24 years as curator at the N.C. Zoo. He has studied birds around the world and is currently the vice president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. If you have a birding question or story idea, write to Bird's-Eye View in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101-3159, or send an e-mail to birding@wsjournal.com. Please type "birds" in the subject line.
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