Turkey (bird)

HISTORY

The wild turkey is native only to North and Central America.

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Long before Europeans came to America, the Aztecs had domesticated turkeys. They used them for food, for religious sacrifices and the feathers for decoration.

When the Spaniards conquered Mexico, they found domesticated turkeys. They introduced the bird into Europe, and it was well established by 1530.

Turkeys were introduced into England in 1526 by the 16th-century navigator William Strickland.

When the turkey reached England, the British confused it with the guinea fowl, which was imported into Europe from Africa through Turkey. Thus it was misnamed, because "Turkish traders" had imported it. The word "turkey" referring to the bird, was first seen in English in 1555.

The French thought turkeys came from India, so called it "dinde." (d'Inde means from India).

The wild turkey, which lived only in North America, was one of the first birds to become greatly reduced in numbers. A visitor to New Jersey in the year 1648 mentions a flock of 500 turkeys "got by nets" at one time. 

Plate 1 of The Birds of America by John James Audubon, depicting a wild turkey

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States rather than the eagle. He wrote in a letter to his daughter Sarah Bache on January 26, 1784.

"In Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on. "

Because of hunting and loss of habitat, wild turkeys nearly went extinct in the early 1900s; efforts by the National Wildlife Federation and the Wild Turkey Federation saved them. Now there are an estimated 7 million wild turkeys in the United States.

TURKEY FARMING 

There are three main commercial farming systems for the rearing of turkeys; standard enclosed in purpose built buildings, pole-barns (natural light and air let in but the birds are still enclosed) and free-range (including organic).  

Just five states – Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana and Missouri produced 60% of the estimated 242 million turkeys raised in the United States in 2014. 

Minnesota is the leading turkey-producing state in the U.S. raising 45 million of the birds in 2014. 

ANATOMY 

The most common domesticated turkey, the Broadbreasted White, is so heavy and large-breasted that it can't fly, run or mate naturally. Instead, they must be artificially inseminated.

The biggest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog. 

The long fleshy bit over a male turkey's beak is called a snood. While fighting, commercial turkeys often peck at the snood, which often leads to further injuries and sometimes cannibalism. To prevent this, some farmers cut off the snood, a process known as desnooding. 

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BEHAVIOR 

When wild turkeys encounter an animal, the whole flock will often circle it to determine whether or not it's a threat.

Only male turkeys, called toms, gobble so they are sometimes called gobblers. Females, called hens, cackle.

Turkeys are able to recognize each other from their voices. 

You can tell a turkey's gender from its droppings: male turkey dropping are spiral-shaped, females are shaped like a letter J.

Wild turkeys, unlike their domesticated counterparts, are agile, fast fliers and can fly up to 60 miles an hour despite their 20 pound heft. They roost high up in the trees at night, but spend most of their time on the ground, causing the misconception that they are incapable of flight at all. 

FUN TURKEY FACTS 

A group of turkeys is called a "rafter." They are often incorrectly referred to as a "flock."

An infant turkey is called a "chick" or "poult". 

Turkeys can suffer heart attacks. The U.S. Air Force was doing some test runs, and when they broke the sound barrier, nearby turkeys dropped dead.

Sources Europress Family Encyclopedia 1999, Compton's Encyclopedia, Daily Express