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Upland birds are known for several traits which distinguish them from other birds. They are chicken-like in appearance, and have short, rounded wings, short heavy bills, and heavy bodies. They stay on dry ground and seek cover in brush or woodlands. Typically, these birds do not migrate, but adapt to seasonal changes.
The wild turkey has returned to the Ohio landscape after many years of absence. This bird once inhabited forested areas of the entire state, providing food and sport for Native Americans and early Ohio settlers. As settlement continued and forest lands were converted to cropland, the wild turkey’s population dwindled to the point that no birds remained in the state by 1904.
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Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
At-a-Glance
• Mating: Polygamous, males breed with more than one female
• Peak Breeding Activity: In April
• Nesting Period: Mid-April through mid-June; peak hatch mid-May through June
• Incubation: 28 days
• Young: Precocial (eyes are open and young can move about shortly after hatching); first flight at about 2 weeks
• Clutch Size: 8-16 eggs; 12 is average
• Number of Broods per Year: 1; may renest if the first nest is lost early in incubation
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Description
The wild turkey is Ohio’s largest upland game bird, standing three to four feet tall and weighing up to 24 pounds. It has a slim build, long neck, and nearly featherless head. The body feathers appear drab brown at a distance, but are actually iridescent when the bird appears in good light; this iridescence gives the bird its true coloration--bronze with hints of red, green, copper, and gold. The large tail is brown with a black band at the tip. Adult males (gobblers) have a reddish head, a long, tasseled “beard” that dangles from the breast, black-tipped breast feathers, and spurs on the legs. Female (hen) turkeys, have a bluish head, usually no beard, buff-tipped breast feathers, and no spurs.
Habitat and Habits
Wild turkeys are very adaptable animals. Although they prefer mature forests, with substantial cover and suitable food sources, they can live successfully in areas with as little as 15 percent forest cover. The feeding area should include a mix of forbs, grasses, and insects. Wild turkeys make a variety of sounds, including a male’s gobble, the hen’s yelp, a poult’s peep, an alarm call that sounds like putt, and an assortment of purrs, trills, croaks, whines, and barks. The best known of these vocalizations is the gobble.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Turkey nests are most often in dense cover near an open area, and are made in a small depression in the ground and lined with leaves.The hen will lead the young poults to open areas for several weeks to feed. Turkeys usually feed in flocks of family units or groups of adults, scratching through leaf litter for insects, fruits, and acorns. Occasionally they will feed in a vine or tree. Most wild turkey broods will remain together for four or five months. Young females may stay with the hen until the following spring at the start of breeding season.
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