Wild Turkey (Eastern Wild Turkey, Merriam's Wild Turkey)
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Aves, Order: Galliformes, Family: Phasianidae, Genus: Meleagris, Species: M. gallopavo
Family: Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, Turkeys, and Allies)
- Shape
- Symmetrical vane with a broadly rounded tip and a slightly truncated or square-ended appearance typical of body contour feathers in large gallinaceous birds.
- Size
- Approximately 5 to 7 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide at its broadest point, consistent with a large body contour feather from an adult Wild Turkey.
- Rarity
- Very Common (abundant and widespread across its natural and introduced range).
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Description
The Wild Turkey is North America's largest native upland game bird, known for its distinctive bald, blue-and-red head, fan-shaped tail, and magnificent iridescent plumage that glints in the sun with coppery, bronze, and green hues.
Colour & Pattern
Rich coppery-bronze and green iridescence with structural coloration, featuring a dark brown or black subterminal band and a lighter, buff-brown or whitish terminal fringe. The rachis is light tan to whitish at the base.
Barb Structure
Pennaceous vane distally with firmly interlocked barbs and barbules, transitioning to a plumulaceous (fluffy, downy) structure at the extreme base near the calamus, featuring a distinct afterfeather (aftershaft).
Texture & Surface
Smooth, slightly glossy, and relatively stiff along the pennaceous upper portion, transitioning to soft and downy at the base.
Key Features
Distinctive bronze-green metallic iridescence, broad rounded tip with a dark subterminal band, and a pale terminal fringe characteristic of Wild Turkey body contour feathers.
Habitat
Mature deciduous and mixed conifer-hardwood forests with scattered openings, clearings, pastures, and agricultural fields that provide mast-producing trees and roosting sites.
Geographic Range
Widespread across North America, ranging from forested regions of southern Canada down through most of the United States into central Mexico.
Ecological Role
Acts as an important seed disperser and predator of insects, small reptiles, and amphibians, while serving as a key prey species for large mammalian and avian predators.
Similar Species
Domestic turkey breeds (can show white, black, or variegated feathers) and large grouse or pheasant species, which generally lack the specific heavy bronze-green sheen and broad square-tipped shape of Wild Turkey breast feathers.
Interesting Facts
Wild Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph and fly in short bursts at speeds up to 55 mph. Despite their heavy bodies, they readily roost high in trees overnight to escape predators.
Condition Notes
Good condition. The barbs are mostly intact and interlocked with minimal fraying or wear, suggesting it is a fresh or recently molted feather.