Wild Turkey

Large, heavy-bodied ground bird with long legs and a fan-shaped tail; males have iridescent bronze-green plumage and fleshy head wattles

Muted gray-brown base transitioning to a dark subterminal band with a lighter tan or buff tip; subtle iridescent sheen visible on the dark band

Mixed: Pennaceous (interlocked) at the distal tip forming a solid vane, and plumulaceous (fluffy) at the proximal base for insulation

Distal tip is relatively smooth and firm; proximal base is exceptionally soft, downy, and silky to the touch

Distinctive 'double' appearance due to the long afterfeather and the contrasting dark brownish-black band at the rounded tip

Mature hardwood and mixed conifer-hardwood forests with scattered openings like pastures or fields

Year-round resident across most of North America, from southern Canada throughout the United States to central Mexico

Omnivorous ground forager that disperses seeds and serves as a prey species for large carnivores; sensitive to habitat fragmentation

Ruffed Grouse (smaller, different banding) or Female Ring-necked Pheasant (more tapered, different mottling)

The Wild Turkey was Benjamin Franklin's preferred choice for the national bird of the United States over the Bald Eagle

Fair to Good; shows some separation of barbs (unzipping) at the edges, likely a naturally molted specimen with minor environmental wear