The wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) is a native highland bird of North America and is the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which originally came from the southern Mexican subspecies of the wild turkey (not the associated ocellated turkey). Though originally from North America, the turkey may get its name from a variety of pets imported into the UK by ship coming from the Levant through Spain. Therefore the English at that time linked the wild turkey with Turkey and its prevailing name.
Video Wild turkey
Description
Adult wild turkeys have long reddish legs to a grayish-green yellow. Body feathers are generally blackish and dark, sometimes gray overall brown with a copper sheen that becomes more complex in adult males. Adult males, called toms or gobblers, have large heads, no feathers, redness, red throat, and red waves on the neck and neck. The head has a fleshy growth called caruncles. Young men called jakes; the difference between adult men and teenagers is that jake has a very short beard and his tail fan has longer feathers in the middle. Adult male tail feathers have the same length. When the man gets excited, the thick cover on the bill expands, and this, the brokers and scalp and empty neck all become enlarged with blood, almost covering the eyes and bills. The long fleshy object above the male beak is called the snood. Each foot has three toes in front, with shorter back legs facing back; men spur behind each of their lower legs.
Male turkeys have long, dark, fan-shaped tails and shiny bronze wings. Like many other species of Galliformes, turkeys exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. Men are substantially larger than females, and their feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold. The preen gland (uropygial gland) is also larger in male turkeys compared to females. Unlike the majority of other birds, they are colonized by unknown bacteria function ( Corynebacterium uropygiale ). The females, called chickens, have dull fur as a whole, in shades of brown and gray. Parasites can reduce the color of both sexes; in men, staining can serve as a health signal. The main wing feathers have white stems. Turkey has 5000 to 6000 feathers. Tail feathers have the same length in adults, the length is different in adolescents. Men usually have a "beard", a tuft of coarse hair (modified fur) growing from the center of the breast. Beards average 230 mm (9.1 inches) in length. In some populations, 10 to 20% of females have beards, usually shorter and thinner than males. The adult male (or "tom") typically weighs from 5 to 11 kg (11 to 24 pounds) and measures the length of 100-125 cm (39-49Ã, Â °). Adult females (or "chickens") are usually much smaller at 2.5-5.4 kg (5.5-11.9 pounds) and 76-95 cm long (30 to 37 inches). Per two large studies, the average weight of the adult male is 7.6 kg (17 Ib) and the average weight of the adult female is 4.26 kg (9.4 lb). The wings are relatively small, as is typical of the galliform order, and the wingspan ranges from 1.25 to 1.44 m (4 ft. 1 in. To 4 ft. 9 in). The wing chord is only 20 to 21.4 cm (7.9 to 8.4 inches). These bills are also relatively small, because adults are 2 to 3.2 cm (0.79 to 1.26 inches) in length. Wild turkey tarsus is long and sturdy, measuring 9.7-19.1 cm (3.8-7.5 inches). Its tail is also relatively long, ranging from 24.5 to 50.5 cm (9.6 to 19.9 inches). Adult male adult turkeys, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weigh 16.85 kg (37.1 pounds), with record tom weights over 13.8 kg (30 pounds) unusual but not uncommon. Although typically lighter than waterfowl, after the trumpeter swan ( Cygnus buccinator ), turkeys have the heaviest maximum weight of every North American bird. Occurs in average mass, some other birds on the continent, including white pelicanan Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) and California's very rare condor ( Gymnogyps californianus ) and whistling crane ( Grus americana ) exceeds the average weight of turkey. On the one hand, none of these other species are sexually dimorphic in size like wild turkeys, but on the other hand, they are also much less and are not legally hunted unlike turkeys, thousands are weighed each year during the hunting season.
Maps Wild turkey
Habitat
Wild turkeys prefer hardwood forests and conifer-hardwood forests with scattered openings like grasslands, fields, gardens and seasonal marshes. They seem to be able to adapt to virtually all indigenous plant communities that are congested during coverage and opening are widely available. An open and mature forest with a variety of tree species interspersions seems to be preferred. In North-East North America, turkeys are mostly in hardwood timber from hickory oak ( Quercus - Carya ) and red oak forest ( Quercus rubra ), beech ( Fagus grandifolia ), cherry ( Prunus serotina ) and white ash ( Fraxinus americana ). The best ranges for turkeys in the Coastal Plains and Piedmont sections have clearing, farming and plantation interspersions with preferred habitats along the main river and in cypress ( Taxodium distichum ) and tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ) swamp. On the Appalachian and Cumberland plains, birds occupy a mixed forest of oaks and pines on the south and western slopes, as well as hickory with various understories. Crooked cypress trees and sweet candy ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) swamp s. Florida; also wood from Cliftonia (health) and oak trees in north-central Florida. Lykes Fisheating Creek area from s. Florida has up to 51% cypress, 12% hammock hardwood, 17% short grass glades with remote living oak (Quercus virginiana ); nesting in the neighboring meadows. The original habitat here is mainly pine longleaf ( Pine palustris ) with turkey (Quercus laevis ) and pine slash ( pine caribaea ) "flatwoods, "is now primarily replaced by a slash pine plantation.
Behavior
Flights
Despite their weight, wild turkeys, unlike their domesticated counterparts, are flies that are nimble. In the ideal habitat of open forest or wooded meadows, they may fly under the canopy and find a perch place. They usually fly close to the ground no more than 400 m (a quarter mile).
Vocalizations
Turkey has many vocalizations: "gobbles", "clucks", "putts", "purrs", "yelps", "cutts", "whines", "cackles", and "kees-kees". In early spring, men older than 1 year (sometimes called gobbler or tom) and, sometimes to a lesser extent, men younger than 1 year (sometimes called jakes) gobble to announce their presence to competing women and men. The shaking can carry up to a mile. Men also make low-pitched "drum" sounds; produced by air movement in the air sacks in the chest, similar to the prairie chicken boom. In addition they produce a sound known as "saliva" which is a sharp expulsion of air from this air sack. Hens "yelp" to let the gobblers know their location. Eaters often bark by female means, and hens can devour them, though they rarely do so. Unmarried men, called jakes, often scream.
Finding meals
Wild turkeys are omnivores, feeding on the ground or climbing bushes and small trees to feed. They prefer to eat whole grains, beans and other hard poles from various trees, including hazel, chestnut, hickory, and pinyon pine and various grains, fruits such as juniper and bearberry, roots and insects. Turkeys also occasionally consume small amphibians and reptiles such as lizards and snakes. Poults have been observed feeding on insects, fruits, and seeds. Wild turkeys often feed on cattle pastures, occasionally visit bird feeders in the backyard, and love farmland after harvest to scavenge seeds on the ground. Turkey is also known to eat a variety of grasses.
The Turkish population can reach large numbers in small areas because of their ability to find food for different types of food. Morning and afternoon are the times desired to eat.
Social structure and mating
Men are polygamy, mating with as many chickens as they can. Male wild turkeys are featured for women by puffing their feathers, spreading out their tails and dragging their wings. This behavior is most commonly referred to as pacing. Their head and neck are brightly colored with red, blue and white. The color can change with the turkey mood, with the most vibrant white head and neck. They use gobbling, drum/boom and spit as a sign of social dominance, and to attract women. Dating begins during March and April, when turkeys are still flocking together in winter.
Men can be seen dating in groups, often with dominant men devouring, spreading their tail feathers (pacing), drums/booms and spitting. In one study, the average dominant male who was approached as part of a pair of men produced six more eggs than a man who was seduced alone. Genetic analysis of male couples dating together shows that they are close relatives, with half of their genetic material identical. The theory behind team courtship is that a less dominant man will have a greater chance to pass on genetic material together than if he were alone.
When the marriage is over, the females search the nest site. The nest is a shallow depression overgrown with woody vegetation. The female chickens have a clutch of 10-14 eggs, usually one per day. The eggs are incubated for at least 28 days. Poults are precocial and nidifugous, leaving the nest in about 12-24 hours.
Predator
Egg predators and nestlings include raccoon (Lit Procyon), Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis ), gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ), groundhogs ( Marmota monax ), other rodents and skunks ( Spilogale ssp.). Predator poults other than nests and eggs also include some snakes, snake rats ( Elaphe ssp.), Gopher serpents ( Pituophis catenifer ) and pinesnakes ( Pituophis > ssp.), and predators mainly on poult including brittle birds such as bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ), forbidden owl ( Strix varia ), red-shouldered ( Buteo lineatus ), red-tailed ( Buteo jamaicensis ), white-tailed ( Geranoaetus albicaudatus ) and Harris eagle ( Parabuteo unicinctus i>) and even small Cooper's eagle ( Accipiter cooperii ) and wide-winged eagle ( Buteo platypterus ) (both likely small children). Poult mortality is the largest in the first 14 days of life, especially those that roam the soil, declining especially after half a year, when they reach almost adult size.
Adult predators and poults include coyote (Canis latrans), gray wolf ( Canis lupus ), bobcats ( Lynx rufus ), puma (< i> Puma concolor ), golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ) and possibly the American black bear ( Ursus americanus ). In addition to chicks, hens and adult fish (but not, as far as is known, adult male toms) are vulnerable to predation by large horned owls (Bubo virginianus ), northern goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis ), domestic dog ( Canis lupus familiaris ), domestic cat ( Felis catus ), and red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ). Humans are now the main predators of adult turkeys. When approached by potential predators, their turkeys and poult usually escape rather than fly away from potential predators, although they can also fly short distances when pressed.
Sometimes, if cornered, an adult turkey might try to fight a predator and a large male tom can be very aggressive in self-defense. When fighting predators, turkeys can kick with their feet, using spurs on their backs as weapons, biting their beaks and ram with a relatively large body and may be able to prevent predators up to mid size. size of mammals. Hen turkeys have been seen to expel at least two species of eagle in flight when their children are threatened. Sometimes, turkeys can behave aggressively towards humans, especially in areas where natural habitats are scarce. They have also been seen pursuing humans as well. However, attacks can usually be blocked and minor injuries can be avoided by giving some respectful space to the turkeys and keeping the open spaces clean and undisturbed.
Range and population
Wild turkeys in the United States in 1957 ranged from Arizona to southeastern Oklahoma and from there via Tennessee, West Virginia, and New York, and south to Florida and Texas. It previously ranges north to southeast South Dakota, southern Wisconsin, southern Ontario, and southwestern Maine. A.O.U. The checklist also depicts the Top Pliocene fossils in Kansas, and the Pleistocen fossils extend from New Mexico to Pennsylvania and Florida. The California turkey, Meleagris californica , is an indigenous species of extinct turkey in the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene of California. It was extinct about 10,000 years ago. California's wild turkey population today comes from wild birds that were reintroduced during the 1960s and 70s from other regions by game officials. They mushroomed after 2000 to become a daily sight in the East Bay Area in 2015.
At the beginning of the 20th century the range and number of wild turkeys decreased due to hunting and habitat loss. The game manager estimates that the entire population of wild turkeys in the United States is as low as 30,000 in the late 1930s. By the 1940s, it had almost completely been eradicated from Canada and had been localized in the pockets of the United States, in the northeast effectively being restricted to the Appalachians, just as far north as central Pennsylvania. Game officials made efforts to protect and encourage the flocking of living wild populations, and some trapped birds were moved to new areas, including some in the western states where it was not genuine. There is evidence that the bird is good when it is near farmland, which provides wheat and berry-bearing bushes at the edges. As the number of wild turkeys recovers, hunting becomes legal in 49 US states (excluding Alaska). In 1973, the total US population was estimated to be 1.3 million, and current estimates put the entire population of wild turkeys on 7 million individuals. In recent years, the "trap and transfer" project has reintroduced wild turkeys to several Canadian provinces as well, sometimes from across the border in the United States.
Attempts to introduce wild turkeys to Britain as game birds in the 18th century were unsuccessful. George II is said to have several thousand flocks in Richmond Park near London, but they are too easy for local hunters to be destroyed, and fights with hunters become too dangerous for gamekeepers. They were hunted with dogs and then shot out of trees where they took cover. Several other populations, introduced or fled, have survived for several periods in Britain and Ireland, but appear to have died, perhaps due to a combination of winter feed shortages and hunting. Small populations, probably derived from livestock and wild animals, in the Czech Republic and Germany have been more successful, and there are wild populations of several sizes following introductions in Hawaii and New Zealand.
Subspecies
There are subtle differences in the colors, habitats, and behavior of different wild turkey subspecies. Six subspecies are:
Eastern spider (ez) Eastern spider ( meleagris) Eastern spider ( meleagris (meleagris_gallopavo_silvestris) _ (viellot, _1817) "> Eastern wild turkey ( meleagris gallopavo silvestris ) (Viellot, 1817)
This is a species of turkeys that Europeans found in the wild: by the Puritans, the founders of Jamestown, and by the Acadians. Its range is one of the largest of all subspecies, covering the entire eastern part of the United States from Maine in the north to northern Florida and extending as far west as Michigan, Illinois, and into Missouri. In Canada, the range extends to Southeastern Manitoba, Ontario, West Quebec (including Pontiac, Quebec and the lower part of the Quebec Seismic West Zone), and the Maritime Provinces. They numbered 5.1 to 5.3 million birds. They were first named 'forest turkeys' in 1817, and can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 m). The upper tail cover leads to chestnut chocolate. Men can weigh 30 pounds (14 kg). Wild turkeys are highly hunted in the eastern United States and are the most hunted wild turkey subspecies.
Wild turkey Osceola or Wild Florida turkey ( MG Osceola ) (Scott, 1890)
Most common on the Florida peninsula, they number 80,000 to 100,000 birds. This bird is named for the famous Osceola leader Seminole, and was first described in 1890. It is smaller and darker than the wild turkeys of the east. The wings of the wings are very dark with numbers smaller than the white borders seen in other subspecies. Their overall body hair is a colorful green-violet color. They are often found in palmetto bushes and sometimes near swamps, where amphibian abundance is abundant. The Osceola turkey is the smallest subspecies weighing 16 to 18 kilograms.
Rio Grande wild turkey ( M. intermedia ) (Sennett, 1879)
Wild turkeys of the Rio Grande range from Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and are introduced to central and western California, as well as parts of some northeastern states. It was also introduced to Hawaiian ? i in the late 1950s. Population estimates for this subspecies range from 1,022,700 to 1,025,700. This subspecies, derived from the lowland state, was first described in 1879, and has relatively long legs, which better adapt to grassland habitats. The body feathers often have a green-copper luster. The tip of the tail and the lower back feathers is a very light tan color. Habitat is a brush area beside a river, river or mesquite, pine forest and shrubs. The Rio Grande Turks are gregarious.
Merriam wildcat ( MG Merriami ) (Nelson, 1900)
Merriam's wild turkeys range from the Rocky Mountains and the grasslands of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota, as well as many high-mesa states of New Mexico, Arizona, southern Utah and The Navajo Nation, with numbers from 334,460 to 344,460 birds.. Subspecies have also been introduced to Oregon. The early release of the Merriam turkey in 1961 resulted in the formation of a remnant population of Merriam turkeys along the eastern slopes of Gn. Turkey's natural hood and immigration from Idaho have formed a group of Merriam cattle along the eastern border of Oregon. Merriam wild turkeys live in pine and ponderosa mountains. The subspecies were named in 1900 in honor of Clinton Hart Merriam, the first head of the US Biological Survey. The tail and lower back feathers have white tips and purple and bronze reflections.
South Mexican wild turkeys ( MG Gallopavo ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
The wild turkeys of southern Mexico are considered the subspecies of nominating, and the only ones not found in the United States or Canada. In central Mexico, archaeological M. gallopavo bone has been identified at sites dating to 800-100 BC [10], [11]. It is unclear whether these initial specimens represented wild or domestic individuals, but domestic turkeys were most likely established in central Mexico in the first half of the Classical Period (about 200-1000 AD). The prehistoric turkey (300 BC-100) still being identified on the archaeological site of El Mirador (PetÃÆ'Â © n, Guatemala) is the earliest evidence of wild southern Mexican turkey exports (Melissa gallopavo gallopavo) into the ancient Maya world. The wild subspecies of southern Mexico, M. g. gallopavo , domesticated either in Mexico or by the Preclassic people in Mesoamerica, giving rise to domestic turkeys. The Spaniards brought this domesticated subspecies back to Europe with them in the mid-16th century; from Spain spread to France and then England as livestock, usually a party center for the rich. By 1620 it was quite common that the Massachusetts Pilgrim settlers could bring turkeys with them from England, unaware that it had a larger close relative who had occupied the Massachusetts jungle. This is one of the smallest and best known subspecies in Spain of the Aztec name, guajolote . This wild turkey subspecies is considered highly endangered, in 2010. Benjamin Franklin and the US national bird proposal
Benjamin Franklin and the US national bird proposal
The idea that Benjamin Franklin prefers turkeys as a national bird of the United States comes from a letter he wrote to his daughter Sarah Bache on January 26, 1784. The main subject of the letter was the critique of the Cincinnati Society, which he likened to the knight's order, which contradicts the ideals of the American republic newly established. In one part of the letter, Franklin commented on the appearance of a bald eagle on the emblem of the Society:
Franklin never publicly voiced opposition to the bald eagle as a national symbol.
Significance for Native Americans
Wild turkeys, throughout its reach, play an important role in Native American culture throughout North America. Outside of Thanksgiving, it's a favorite meal in the eastern tribe. Native American tribes consume eggs and meat, sometimes turning the latter into a kind of jerky to preserve it and make it endure through cold weather. They provide habitat by burning parts of the forest to create grasslands that will attract mating birds, and thus provide a clear shot to the hunter. Turkey feathers also often go into the ritual and head cover of many tribes. Many leaders, like Catawba's head, traditionally wear turkey head feathers. Significant people from several tribes, including Muscogee Creek and Wampanoag, wore turkey fleece robes. The turkey clan is one of three Lenape clans. The movement of wild turkeys inspires the Caddo turkey dance. Navajo people in Southeastern Arizona, New Mexico and Utah call turkey T? Zhii and connect the bird with corn and grains brought by Turkey in the Navajo folklore of the Third Navajo World. It is one of the Navajos holy birds, with the Navajo people using feathers and parts in some traditional ceremonies.
See also
- The inheritance of turkey
- Turkey calls
- Turkeypox virus
Note
References
- Dickson, James G., Wild Turkey: Biology and Management (National Wild Turkey Federation and USDA Forest Service books), 1992, Stackpole Books, ISBN 081171859X, 9780811718592, google book
- Pritzker, Barry M. The Original American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBNÃ, 978-0-19-513877-1.
External links
- Turkey as an U.S. national bird
- Turkey from the UK
- National Wild Turkey Federation - A location map of five wild turkey sub-species
- See the turkey genome in Ensembl
- "Wild turkey media". Bird Bird Collection .
- Wild turkey photo gallery in VIREO (Drexel University)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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