12/15/2018
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at ANHC! In celebration of the holiday's famed bird, here are some fun turkey facts:
*The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the same species as the domestic turkey.
*Contrary to popular belief, turkeys can fly. Turkeys have been recorded flying at speeds of 88.5 km/hr (~55 mph).
*An adult female turkey is called a hen; an adult male turkey is a tom.
*The loose red skin attached to the underside of a turkey's beak is called a wattle.
*Fossils of turkeys have been found in the southern U.S. and Mexico dating from more than 5 million years ago.
*A turkey's gender can be determined from its droppings -- females produce spiral-shaped droppings and males produce J-shaped droppings.
*Turkeys can swim.
*There are approximately 5,500 feathers on an adult wild turkey, including the 18 feathers that make up the male's distinct tail fan.
*The common name "turkey" is said to come from shipping routes whereby the birds passed through Turkey on the way to European markets.
*Wild turkeys are omnivores.
*By the end of the 19th century, wild turkeys were on the brink of extinction. Thanks to reintroduction efforts, wild turkeys are now found in every state but Alaska and in six Canadian provinces. Image is of a male wild turkey by John James Audubon.