Meleagris gallopavo
Table of Contents
Common Name: Wild Turkey
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: Animalia |
| Phylum: Chordata |
| Class: Aves |
| Order: Galliformes |
| Family: Phasianidae |
| Genus: Meleagris |
| Species: Meleagris gallopavo |
Conservation Status
Identifying Features
Male wild turkey are 46" long with a 64" wingspan. The females are slightly smaller.
Turkeys are dark brown and iridescent in color, and have a bare head.
Habitat & Range
Wild turkey live year-round in open forests across much of the United States, with the exception of western mountain ranges. Their range also reaches through much of northern Mexico.
Behavior
Turkeys forage for nuts, seeds, insects, some vegetation, and even salamanders.
They will roost in trees at night.
Life Cycle
Wild turkeys nest on the ground, laying up to 17 eggs in one clutch.
Featured image by James Dake.
Related
Accipiter striatus
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard