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The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
Turkey, either of two species of birds classified as members of either the family Phasianidae or Meleagrididae (order Galliformes). The best known is the common turkey, while the other species is the ocellated turkey. Learn more about the birds, including their domestication and characteristics.
The Turkey is a group of large birds in the pheasant, or Phasianidae family. They are closely related to chickens, quail, pheasants, peacocks, and partridges. This article will focus on the domestic species. For their wild counterparts, please see the Wild Turkey article.
Amazing Facts About the Turkey. The modern domesticated turkey descends from the wild turkey. Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalisations. Including a distinctive gobble, produced by males, which can be heard a mile away. Individual turkeys have unique voices.
Find out how flocks of wild turkey have reclaimed their old stomping grounds. Hear the tale of a popular game bird that nearly disappeared in the wild. Skip to content
The Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey, and the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes (a group of game birds which includes grouse, pheasants, and partridges).
Wild Turkey Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and clearings like miniature dinosaurs.
Wild Turkey Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Wild Turkeys live year-round in open forests with interspersed clearings in 49 states (excluding Alaska), parts of Mexico, and parts of southern Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, Canada.
Wild Turkeys usually get around by walking or running, but they can fly strongly, and they typically roost overnight in tall trees. Turkeys were formerly considered to belong to a separate family from other chicken-like birds; there are only two species, ours in North America and the Ocellated Turkey in Central America.
The Wild Turkey is the largest North American gamebird, weighing up to 20 pounds, with a wingspan of up to five feet. It's colorful, too — decked out in iridescent feathers of bronze, gold, and green, accented by colorful skin ornamentation and spurred legs.
