Talkin' turkey
Did you know that there are two species of turkey?
The Wild Turkey is most common.
The Ocellated Turkey is found only on the Yucatan Peninsula. Ocellated turkeys are much smaller than any of the subspecies of wild turkey. They draw their name for the spots on their tail feathers (which resemble those of a peacock).
A third species, the Californian Turkey, was wiped out by Native Americans about 8,000 BC.
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There are six sub-species of the Wild Turkey.
South Mexican wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) (Linnaeus, 1758)
The south Mexican wild turkey is the only one that is not found in the United States or Canada. It was hunted by First People as early as 11,000 years ago, and probably domesticated about 300 BCE. Spanish colonizers brought this domesticate subspecies back to Europe with them. The Pilgrims brought descendants of these turkeys with them from England, unaware that a larger relative already occupyied the forests of Massachusetts. This subspecies is critically endangered.
Eastern wild turkey (M. g. silvestris) (Viellot, 1817)
This was the subspecies the Pilgrims, the founders of Jamestown, the Puritans, and the French Acadians of Newfoundland first encountered. Its range is one of the largest of all subspecies, covering the entire eastern half of the United States from Maine in the north to northern Florida and extending as far west as Michigan, Illinois, and into Missouri. In Canada, its range extends into Southeastern Manitoba, Ontario, Southwestern Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces. Hunted to extinction in Canada and with just 30,000 to 50,000 left in the United States in the 1940s, a massive trap-and-release recovery program has brought their numbers back up to about 5.3 million birds nationwide.
Gould's wild turkey (M. g. mexicana) (Gould, 1856)
This subspecies is native to the central valleys and northern mountains of Mexico and the southernmost parts of Arizona and New Mexico. First described in 1856, they are the largest of the six subspecies. It strongly resemble's Merriam's wild turkey, but the Gould's has longer legs, larger feet, and longer tail feathers; white tips on the tail feathers and coverts, and a greenish iridescence to the feathers on the lower back and rump. Fewer than a hundred or so of these birds live in the United States. They are considered extremely common in Mexico, although information on actual numbers is completely lacking.
Rio Grande wild turkey (M. g. intermedia) (Sennett, 1879)
The Rio Grande wild turkey ranges through Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah. First described in 1879, it has relatively long legs which makes it better adapted to prairie habitat. Its feathers are an iridescent coppery-green, and the tips of the tail and lower back feathers are a buff to very light tan color. There are about 1 million of these birds today.
Osceola wild turkey or Florida wild turkey (M. g. osceola) (Scott, 1890)
Most common in the Florida peninsula, this bird is named for the famous Seminole leader Osceola. First described in 1890, it is the second-smallest subspecies. Its color is darker than the eastern wild turkey, the body feathers are an iridescent greenish-purple, and the wing feathers are very dark with less white barring. There are about 80,000 to 100,000 of these birds today.
Merriam's wild turkey (M. g. merriami) (Nelson, 1900)
Merriam's wild turkey lives in the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades of California, and on the prairies of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. First identified in 1900, it was named in honor of Clinton Hart Merriam, the first chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. The tail and lower back feathers have white tips and are an iridescent purple-bronze. There are about 345,000 of these birds today.
The Wild Turkey is most common.
The Ocellated Turkey is found only on the Yucatan Peninsula. Ocellated turkeys are much smaller than any of the subspecies of wild turkey. They draw their name for the spots on their tail feathers (which resemble those of a peacock).
A third species, the Californian Turkey, was wiped out by Native Americans about 8,000 BC.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
There are six sub-species of the Wild Turkey.
South Mexican wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) (Linnaeus, 1758)
The south Mexican wild turkey is the only one that is not found in the United States or Canada. It was hunted by First People as early as 11,000 years ago, and probably domesticated about 300 BCE. Spanish colonizers brought this domesticate subspecies back to Europe with them. The Pilgrims brought descendants of these turkeys with them from England, unaware that a larger relative already occupyied the forests of Massachusetts. This subspecies is critically endangered.
Eastern wild turkey (M. g. silvestris) (Viellot, 1817)
This was the subspecies the Pilgrims, the founders of Jamestown, the Puritans, and the French Acadians of Newfoundland first encountered. Its range is one of the largest of all subspecies, covering the entire eastern half of the United States from Maine in the north to northern Florida and extending as far west as Michigan, Illinois, and into Missouri. In Canada, its range extends into Southeastern Manitoba, Ontario, Southwestern Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces. Hunted to extinction in Canada and with just 30,000 to 50,000 left in the United States in the 1940s, a massive trap-and-release recovery program has brought their numbers back up to about 5.3 million birds nationwide.
Gould's wild turkey (M. g. mexicana) (Gould, 1856)
This subspecies is native to the central valleys and northern mountains of Mexico and the southernmost parts of Arizona and New Mexico. First described in 1856, they are the largest of the six subspecies. It strongly resemble's Merriam's wild turkey, but the Gould's has longer legs, larger feet, and longer tail feathers; white tips on the tail feathers and coverts, and a greenish iridescence to the feathers on the lower back and rump. Fewer than a hundred or so of these birds live in the United States. They are considered extremely common in Mexico, although information on actual numbers is completely lacking.
Rio Grande wild turkey (M. g. intermedia) (Sennett, 1879)
The Rio Grande wild turkey ranges through Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah. First described in 1879, it has relatively long legs which makes it better adapted to prairie habitat. Its feathers are an iridescent coppery-green, and the tips of the tail and lower back feathers are a buff to very light tan color. There are about 1 million of these birds today.
Osceola wild turkey or Florida wild turkey (M. g. osceola) (Scott, 1890)
Most common in the Florida peninsula, this bird is named for the famous Seminole leader Osceola. First described in 1890, it is the second-smallest subspecies. Its color is darker than the eastern wild turkey, the body feathers are an iridescent greenish-purple, and the wing feathers are very dark with less white barring. There are about 80,000 to 100,000 of these birds today.
Merriam's wild turkey (M. g. merriami) (Nelson, 1900)
Merriam's wild turkey lives in the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades of California, and on the prairies of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. First identified in 1900, it was named in honor of Clinton Hart Merriam, the first chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. The tail and lower back feathers have white tips and are an iridescent purple-bronze. There are about 345,000 of these birds today.