Wild Turkey

• It is one of only two native North American birds ever domesticated.
• It can walk and feed itself within 24 hours of hatching.
• Its annual mortality in the wild is around 50%.
• locomociónIt can run at over 40 km/h in short bursts and can also fly, contrary to the popular impression left by the farmyard bird bred for the table.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat and environment

Mixed broadleaf and coniferous woodland with open clearings across North America

Birth weight

~47 grams at hatching

Size at birth

Precocial: able to walk and feed itself within 24 hours of hatching

Sexual maturity

Female: ~10 months (304 days) | Male: 1 year, though he rarely mates successfully until 2-3 years

Gestation / incubation

25-31 days (usual reference 28 days)

Litter / clutch size

8 to 15 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); USDA Forest Service FEIS; Dimensions.com; Animal Diversity Web; NHPBS NatureWorks; Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.