Christopher Taylor Bird Nature Wildlife Mammal Photography
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GALLERIES > BIRDS > GALLIFORMES > PHASIANIDAE > WILD TURKEY [Meleagris gallopavo]    [plot on map]


Wild Turkey (Male displaying)
 
 
Location: Madera Canyon, AZ
GPS: 31.7N, -110.9W, elev=4,953' MAP
Date: March 29, 2009
ID : 7C2V6222 [3888 x 2592]

Wild Turkey (Male displaying)
 
 
Location: Madera Canyon, AZ
GPS: 31.7N, -110.9W, elev=4,953' MAP
Date: March 29, 2009
ID : 7C2V6243 [3888 x 2592]

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Wild Turkey Photo @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Custer State Park, SD
GPS: 43.7N, -103.4W, elev=4,489' MAP
Date: July 21, 2010
ID : 7C2V1101 [3888 x 2592]

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Wild Turkey (with chick)
 
 
Location: Custer State Park, SD
GPS: 43.7N, -103.4W, elev=4,489' MAP
Date: July 21, 2010
ID : 7C2V1098 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography

Wild Turkey Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Santa Fe, NM
GPS: 35.7N, -105.9W, elev=8,111' MAP
Date: November 25, 2012
ID : B13K0684 [4896 x 3264]

nature photography

Wild Turkey (Male displaying)
 
 
Location: Madera Canyon, AZ
GPS: 31.7N, -110.9W, elev=4,953' MAP
Date: March 29, 2009
ID : 7C2V6240 [3888 x 2592]

Wild Turkey Photo @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Madera Canyon, AZ
GPS: 31.7N, -110.9W, elev=4,953' MAP
Date: June 4, 2007
ID : ? [3888 x 2592]

nature photography

Wild Turkey Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Madera Canyon, AZ
GPS: 31.7N, -110.9W, elev=4,953' MAP
Date: November 9, 2007
ID : 6882 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

SPECIES INFO

The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is one of two species of turkey, the other being the Ocellated Turkey, found in Central and South America. Adult Wild Turkeys have a small, featherless, bluish head; a red throat in males; long reddish-orange to greyish-blue legs; and a dark-brown to black body. The head has fleshy growths called caruncles; in excited turkeys, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, becoming engorged with blood. Males have red wattles on the throat and neck. Each foot has four toes, and males have rear spurs on their lower legs.

Turkeys have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. As with many other species of the Galliformes, turkeys exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and gray. Parasites can dull coloration of both sexes; in males, coloration may serve as a signal of health. The primary wing feathers have white bars.

Turkeys have between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers. Tail feathers have the same length in adults, different lengths in juveniles. Males typically have a "beard" consisting of modified feathers that stick out from the breast. Beards average 9 inches in length. In some populations, 10 to 20 percent of females have a beard, usually shorter and thinner than that of the male. The average weight of the adult male is 8.2 kg (18 lb) and the adult female is 3.2 kg (8 lb). The average length is 1.09 m (3.5 ft) and the average wingspan is 1.44 m (4.8 ft). The record-sized adult male wild turkey, according to the National Wildlife Turkey Federation was (38 lbs).




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wild_turkey's Range Map Click here to see the Wild Turkey's range map!
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