I was browsing the net as I so often do and came across some interesting turkey facts that I thought would make an interesting read. Being fairly new to turkey hunting I found some of these facts interesting.
Did you know?
A wild turkey’s gobble can be heard up to one mile away.Because it is a native bird with a proud demeanor and protective instincts, the wild turkey was Benjamin Franklin’s choice for the national bird.
Adult male turkeys are called toms and females are called hens. Very young birds are poults, while juvenile males are jakes and juvenile females are jennies. A group of turkeys is called a flock.
The wild turkey’s bald head can change color in seconds with excitement or emotion. The birds’ heads can be red, pink, white or blue.
Wild turkeys see in color and have excellent daytime vision that is three times better than a human’s eyesight and covers 270 degrees, but they have poor vision at night.
The wild turkey is the official game bird of Alabama, Massachusetts and South Carolina.The average lifespan of a wild turkey is 3-5 years, and the oldest known wild turkey lived to be at least 13.
There are approximately 5,500 feathers on an adult wild turkey.
There are five distinct subspecies of wild turkeys: Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Gould’s. Subtle plumage differences and different ranges distinguish the birds.
All photo's taken by: Rick Kratzke
information from: About.com
7 comments:
Wow, did I learn a lot about wild turkeys that I didn't know.
All I know is we have dozens of them all over especially in the pasture. They are quite a sight for sure and pretty much a fixture on our farm.
Hey Rick!
Thanks for the information on turkeys. I appreciate the effort you put forth and I always appreciate learning new stuff!
Regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles.
The Range Reviews: Tactical.
Last November I wrote a kid's column about turkeys and I learned a lot about them in the process. And contrary to popular belief, I think they are pretty smart. Why? We see lots and lots of turkeys in fields along our road, but when turkey season comes along they all seem to conveniently disappear from sight :)
I love trivia like this - great post!
Mountain Woman, they do love the pastures and fields.
Albert, your welcome. I hope it was interesting.
Janet, I have to agree. They are like deer, they know when to make themselves scarce.
Blessed, I am glad you liked it. It actually taught me a couple things.
Wow, 5,500 feathers?!
That's a bunch of plucking!
Twisted Fencepost, that does seem like a lot of feathers.
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