Stories

When you’re sitting around the table sharing Thanksgiving Dinner with family and friends and the conversation begins to drift into the uncharted waters of politics or religion, we’ve got a polite way to change the subject…talk turkey!  What can we learn about that roasted (or deep fried) domesticated bird on the table – beyond the price per pound, your favorite recipe, or how delicious it tastes? How about a friendly game of Talking Turkey?

Where did its wild cousins originate?
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to much of North America (continental US and north/central Mexico) and is a year round resident.  This is one of the few wild species from the Americas that have been domesticated. The Latin name for Domestic Turkey is simply Meleagris gallopavo domesticus).

What is their preferred habitat?
In the Carolinas and other parts of the eastern US, they are often found in Oak Hickory forests, where they feast on native nuts and fruits, and are found along woodland edges and clearings. These grand birds can even be seen in urban locations, where they are adapting to habitat loss.

How did they become domesticated?
Native people in what is now Mexico domesticated Wild Turkeys hundreds if not thousands of years ago, and the birds feature in a number of traditional recipes. Spanish explorers brought them back to Europe in the 1500’s where they have been raised as domestic poultry, and it was actually the British settlers who brought domesticated turkeys with them when they arrived in North America in the 1600’s.

Is Wild Turkey an Endangered or Threatened species?
Overhunting and habitat loss caused steep declines in Wild Turkey populations by the early 1900’s, but by mid-century state game commissions, hunters and naturalists collaborated across the country to reintroduce this valuable game bird from wild populations in different parts of the country.  Given this mixing of gene pools, Wild Turkeys in South Carolina may have more in common genetically with those originally from Texas or Illinois. And yet, biologists have noted a recent decline in their populations in many parts of the country over the last 20 years. The peak Wild Turkey population was an estimated 7 million birds in 2004, reduced by over 1.2 million birds by 2019. While the causes are not clear, habitat loss, hunting, and increased predator populations are likely to be part of the challenges they face.

Can a domesticated turkey make it in the wild?
If the survival rate of the white birds that escape from the turkey farm next door to Southern 8ths is any indication, the answer is “absolutely not.” Wild Turkeys are fast – running at speeds of up to 25 mph and flying as fast as 55 mph. Their domestic cousins are raised in total confinement for one purpose – to produce a lot of meat in a short amount of time. If they escape, they may last a few hours or days in the woods before becoming an easy banquet for one or more predators and scavengers.

For more information about this amazing and delicious bird, we recommend that you visit Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds Wild Turkey Page.

Bon Appetit!