Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is a massive ground-dwelling bird with a heavy body and long legs. This feather displays the classic 'fan' tip of a body feather, which provides the bird with its dark, shimmering appearance. In males (toms), these feathers contribute to a bronze-green metallic glow when seen in sunlight.

Base is a neutral grayish-brown; distal end features a broad, velvety black subterminal band followed by a shimmering copper or bronze iridescent section, tipped with a thin buff or white terminal margin

Basal two-thirds are plumulaceous (downy and loose) for insulation; the distal third is pennaceous (tightly interlocked) and flat for protection and pigment display

The base is extremely soft and fuzzy; the tip is stiff, smooth, and possesses a metallic, glossy sheen characteristic of gallinaceous birds

Distinctive velvety black subterminal band and iridescent copper tip; exaggerated downy base comprising more than half the feather length

Open woodlands, mature forests with nut-bearing trees (mast), and adjacent agricultural fields or grasslands

Common throughout North America, ranging from southern Canada through the United States to central Mexico; non-migratory but moves locally for food

Omnivorous foragers that act as seed dispersers; they are a vital prey species for large predators and contribute to soil aeration through scratching

Ruffed Grouse (smaller, different banding) or domestic Turkey breeds (which often have consistent white or more mottled patterns without the same intense iridescence)

Wild Turkeys were famously suggested by Benjamin Franklin as a more respectable national bird than the Bald Eagle; they can fly for short distances reaching speeds of 55 mph

Excellent condition; the barbs are fully intact, the iridescent sheen is bright, and the calamus (quill) appears cleanly shed, suggesting a natural molt