Species Spotlight : Wild Turkey
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An adult male wild turkey is heavy-bodied and larger than the female. The skin on its featherless head is pinkish-red with red caruncles (wattles) on its throat and neck, a dark beard on its breast and dark brown or bronze iridescent feathers. When the male is excited, during courtship for example, the skin on its head turns bright blue and white, and the caruncles become swollen and turn bright red. The female is slimmer and duller, with a blue-gray head and neck that lacks the prominent red caruncles of males. Females usually do not have a beard, but if one does, the beard is much thinner and smaller than on males. During courtship, the male struts, fans out its tail and gobbles. The female builds a nest on the ground by scratching out a shallow depression hidden in taller brush or beneath a shrub, and lines it with grass and dead leaves.
Turkeys are powerful fliers, especially for short distances. Their wings are designed for short, fast flight, but by alternating gliding and flapping, they can cover a mile rather easily. Speeds of up to 55 mph have been observed. To conserve energy, however, turkeys primarily walk. They spend much time on the ground, hunting for acorns, seeds, fruits, insects, leaves, and small vertebrates. Turkeys are wary and will run away or fly to a tree to escape danger. They prefer open forests and forest edges and occur throughout Florida in suitable habitat.
By the early 1900s, wild turkeys suffered major population declines from over hunting and habitat loss. Through game management and reintroduction into suitable habitat, the population of wild turkeys has increased. Today, the major threats facing wild turkeys include habitat loss, largely associated with expanding urban and commercial development.
Where you can find wild turkeys
More information on wild turkeys
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