# Turkey (*Meleagris gallopavo*) Turkeys are big, friendly birds often found on farms. They have beautiful feathers and love to roam around looking for food. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 103 - **Also known as:** Wild Turkey ![Turkey](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426664/objects/4586.jpg) ## Appearance The Turkey is a large bird with iridescent feathers that shimmer bronze, green, and copper in sunlight. Males have a distinctive bald, red, white, and blue head and neck, often adorned with a fleshy snood and wattles, making them visually different from most other wild birds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Galliformes - **Family:** Phasianidae - **Genus:** Meleagris ## Interesting facts - A group of turkeys is called a "rafter" or a "flock"! - Only male turkeys, called "toms" or "gobblers," make the famous gobbling sound! - Turkeys can see in 3D and have a nearly 270-degree field of vision! - Wild turkeys often sleep perched high in trees to stay safe from predators! ## Special abilities - **Gobble Call:** Turkey can make a loud 'gobble' sound because of its unique vocal abilities, helping them attract mates or warn others. - **Color Changing Skin:** Turkey has bare skin on its head and neck that changes color because of blood flow, helping them display emotions or dominance. - **Keen Eyesight:** Turkey has exceptional vision because of large, keen eyes, helping them spot tiny food items or distant predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 85-125 cm - **Wingspan:** 125-180 cm - **Weight:** 2.5-11 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years - **Speed:** 88 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-17 - **Incubation:** 28 days - **Migration Distance:** 0 km ## Diet & Feeding Turkeys are omnivores, gobbling up a variety of plants, seeds, nuts, and small insects they find on the forest floor. - **Age differences:** Young turkeys eat more protein-rich insects than adults. - **Primary Foods:** acorns, seeds, berries, insects, small reptiles, leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — often preys on adult turkeys and poults in their habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Bobcat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bobcat) (*Lynx rufus*) — hunts turkeys, especially younger birds, in forested areas. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — preys on turkey poults and sometimes roosting adults at night. - **Depends on:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — feeds on acorns, which are a critical winter food source. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Turkeys are generally safe, but it's best to watch them from a distance and not to startle them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Turkey? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Turkey? 85-125 cm ### What is Turkey's wingspan? 125-180 cm ### How much does Turkey weigh? 2.5-11 kg ### How long does Turkey live? 3-10 years ### How fast can Turkey move? 88 km/h ### What does Turkey eat? Turkeys are omnivores, gobbling up a variety of plants, seeds, nuts, and small insects they find on the forest floor. ### How does Turkey hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Barrington Civic Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrington-civic-center-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Brett Woods Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brett-woods-open-space) — Connecticut, US · Park [View all places to see Turkey](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/turkey) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Turkey: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/turkey)