Wild Turkey

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The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a native grassland and forest species, known to most people as the official Thanksgiving bird.

If Benjamin Franklin had his way, the Wild Turkey would also have been named the official bird of the United States.

When the first colonists arrived, they were such a popular game bird that they were almost hunted to extinction. Today, they have been introduced into much of their entire range, primarily the eastern United States, with smaller western populations.

While they spend most of their time walking on the ground, they are capable flyers.

Males, like the one in the top picture, display their feathers much like the male peacock.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels