The neighborhood flock of wild turkeys keeps growing

[plantgirl]

We started the year with the same two hens that have been around here for ages. Then at some point last spring a tom showed up & brought with him 4 more hens, bringing us up to 7 birds. Then about two months ago a group of 6 juveniles started appearing, sometimes with the other birds, sometimes on their own. These younger turkey are loud & dumb

Comments

[tatjna]

Clearly your turkeys are smarter than ours. The wild ones that were common where I grew up would keep up a constant 'thumping' noise as they moved so you could always tell where they were.

But in NZ, the only predator is people and turkeys aren't that good eating compared with sheep so they don't have to be that smart.

[plantgirl]

The adults do seem to be relatively smart.

The juveniles, however, are dumb as rocks. I watched (& was forced to listen to) several of them pace up & down the fence that separates our yard from the neighbors. Crying. For about an hour. Because they could not figure out how to get past an average height chain link fence. Birds. That can fly.

random: I am told that turkeys that live where humans hunt them do not allow humans to come anywhere near as close as our birds will come to us. You pretty much never see the things.

I haven't heard ours thump. When they come up the stairs that run alongside the west side of the house, which are essentially a small 'canyon' in terms of visibility, there is a lot of 'talking' back & forth among them. Also, turkeys climbing cement stairs just sounds funny. It makes me laugh every time.

[clashfan]

Wow, that sounds startling! I'm imagining it like a cartoon, actually. Totally sounds like a Merrie Melodies bit to me.