Animalia Life

Meleagris gallopavo
SUBFAMILY
Meleagridinae
TAXONOMY
Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus, 1758, North America = Mexico. Six subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Dindon sauvage; German: Truthuhn; Spanish: Guajolote Gallipavo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Male 39–49 in (100–125 cm); female 30–37 in (76–95 cm); male 11.0–24.2 lb (5.0–11.0 kg); female 6.6–11.0 lb (3.0–5.0 kg). Males have a bare blue and pink head, red wattles, dark plumage with iridescent green and bronze highlights, whitebarred flight feathers, a blackish breast tuft, and pinkish spurred legs. Females are duller in color and smaller than males.
DISTRIBUTION
Native of central and northern Mexico, throughout the United States ranging from southern Vermont to Florida, and west to Washington, Oregon, and California.
HABITAT
Prefers mix of hardwood forest, scrub, grass, and agricultural land, but tolerant of dry scrub and subtropical forest.
BEHAVIOR
Gathers into large flocks of 50, exceptionally 500, in winter with males usually separate from females and young; no territorial defense; will run to cover, only flying routinely to reach communal roosts in trees.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds mainly by picking at ground; takes leaves, shoots, small seeds, acorns, buds, fruits, as well as grasshoppers, crabs, and small vertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Male display starts in February, and later takes up most of their time; successful males attract a group of four to five females for mating; nest in dense cover; clutch size usually 10–12; incubation by female alone, 27–28 days; female and young remain together until following spring.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Until 1940s, over-hunting in the United States was reducing its range and population; following many successful translocations and systematic management of hunting, it is again common and widespread; it is local and much less common in Mexico.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
A hunted game bird; the subject of turkey-calling contests; a flagship for its habitats.

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