Wild Turkey

Here's a Wild Turkey I met late last autumn. I could argue that I met several of them, but most of them flew off so far and fast that I'm not sure I'd consider it an encounter. I don't know how well a supermarket butterball turkey flies, but Wild Turkeys fly pretty well, at least for short distances. Our Wild Turkeys are sort of the ancestors of the Domestic Turkeys of Thanksgiving Day fame; Domestic Turkeys are the descendants of a Wild Turkey subspecies found in Mexico. 

I originally heard turkey clucking going on off the trail in some fairly dense vegetation but couldn't get a clear look at them. As frequently happens my attempts to get a picture ultimately scared the turkeys into flight, though at least one of them initially landed in a nearby tree. I'm somewhat fortunate to have gotten a picture since she didn't stay there very long, ultimately rejoining her flock in an undisclosed location. All things considered the picture turned out better than I expected.

I'm told breeding season is between March and May. Given that it's been warm lately, I'm thinking NJ turkey breeding season has either been going on for a while or is on the brink of starting. Perhaps I'll be seeing turkey chicks soon?

December 16, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 174170799, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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