Turkey

Page history last edited by AaronL 3 years, 2 months ago

THE ALL MIGHTY SPECIES OF TURKEYS!!!!!!

Bow Down To Turkey!!!!!!

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Galliformes

Family: Meleagrididae

Genus: Meleagris

Species: M. Gallopavo, M. Ocellata

The turkey is a large bird that belongs to the Family Meleagrididae. They are the largest birds in the open forest they live in. Turkeys have no direct relation to the country of Turkey despite of its name.

There are three types of turkeys and they're Domestic Turkeys, Wild Turkeys, and Ocellated Turkeys. The Domestic Turkeys is a descendant to the Wild Turkeys. There are six subspecies of Wild Turkeys and they are Eastern Wild Turkeys, Osceola or Florida Turkeys, Rio Grande Turkeys, Merriam's Turkey, Gould's Turkeys, and South Mexican Turkeys.Turkeys are native to North America. There are thirteen breeds of Domestic Turkeys and are Broad-Breasted White, Broad-Breasted Bronze, Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Slate, Black, Narragansett Turkey, Chocolate, Beltsville Small White, Midget White, Auburn, White Holland Turkey, and Royal Palm.

Don't Listen To Him!!!

Their wingspan is about 1.5-1.8 meters. Turkeys can fly at a speed of 50 mph. Most turkeys can fly except Domesticated Turkeys. The fleshy protuberance that hangs from the top of its beak is called a snood. Turkeys have 20,000 to 30,000 feathers. Turkeys are omnivorous.

Adult male have a bare blue and pink head, red wattles, dark plumage with iridescent green and bronze highlights, white-barred flight feathers, a blackish breast tuft, and pinkish spurred legs. The females are dullerin color and are smaller than males. Males are 39-49 in tall while females are 30-37 in tall. Males weight around 11.0-24.2 lb while the females weight around 6.6-11.0 lb.

And Him To!!!!!

The turkeys are active during the day and they roost at night to avoid predators. They gather in flocks of 50 to 500. The flocks are organized by "pecking order". The pecking order is a social ranking which each bird is dominant or "pecks on" birds of lesser social status. The pecking order has implications for people and nuisance turkeys. Turkeys may attempt to to dominate or attack people that the birds view as subordinates. They also hate shiny objects or reflections and will attack it until it vanish. The males usually seperates from the females and the youngs during the winter. They have no territory defense. And will only run to cover if threathend and only fly routinely to reach communal roosts in trees.

They eat leaves, shoots, small seeds, acorns, nuts, buds, fruits, grapes, skunk cabbage, berries, tubers, insects, grasshoppers, crabs, and small vertebrates.

They live in central and northern Mexico, southern Vermont to Florida, and west to Washington, Oregon, and California. Their habitats are mix hardwood forests, scrubs, grass, agriculture lands, dry scrub, and subtropical forests.

Benjamin Franklin suggested that the turkey should of been the national bird of the United States of America and wrote a letter to his daughter criticizing the choice of the eagle as the national bird and thinks that the turkey was a better choice.

And this is what he wrote:

For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.

Domestic Turkeys aren't that intelligent. During a rainstorm, they would look up into the sky until they drown. Some people said that they are too dumb to realize that it can't fly, but it is not true because of its heavy weight(to provide more meat) unlike its wild counterpart. They are not that intelligent because of a genetic nervous disorder called Tetanic Torticollar Spasms.

Most of the turkeys' feathers are usually ground up and used as filler for animal feed. They also get natural fiber from their feathers and are made into yarns for knitting. The turkeys' litter is used for fertilizer and also for being a fuel source in electric power plants. It can provide 55 megawatts of power using 700,000 tons of dung per year(yeah, I know its disgusting).

Turkeys are traditionally eaten as the main course at Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada and large feasts at Christmas. They are also now eaten in countries where turkeys are popular, all year-round, and forms of a regular part of many diets.