What do a real turkey look like?

Turkeys are dark overall with a bronze-green iridescence to most of their plumage. Their wings are dark, boldly barred with white. Their rump and tail feathers are broadly tipped with rusty or white. The bare skin of the head and neck varies from red to blue to gray.

Is turkey a man made animal?

Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia.

What are the 4 types of turkeys?

Each subspecies has their own set of characteristics when it comes to physical appearance and aggressiveness of calling. The six types of wild turkeys are: Eastern wild turkey, Osceola wild turkey, Gould’s wild turkey, Merriam’s wild turkey, Rio Grande wild turkey, and the Ocellated wild turkey.

What’s the difference between a wild turkey and a domestic turkey?

“Wild turkey are smaller and have darker meat, richer, more intense flavor, and firmer texture than domestic turkey,” notes Exotic Meats USA. “The breast, being smaller, tends to cook faster than legs or thighs. Wild turkey must not be overcooked because it would become too dry.

What does male turkey look like?

Male turkeys can be identified by their fan-shaped tails, fleshy red wattles and snoods on their beaks, and dark, mottled plumage with a bronze-green sheen. Their small, bare-skinned heads may be bright blue or red. By contrast, females look drab and are about half as large.

Can turkeys fly?

Up in the sky! Wild turkeys can fly short distances at 40 to 50 miles an hour. (Domestic turkeys can’t, a factoid that was used to great comedic effect in the famous Thanksgiving episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.) Wild turkeys can also run 12 miles an hour and, completing the triathlon, they are actually adept swimmers.

Can you eat turkey eggs?

Turkey eggs are totally edible: Those who have backyard turkeys report their eggs taste remarkably similar to chicken eggs. They are slightly bigger, the shell slightly tougher, and the membrane between the shell and the egg slightly thicker, but otherwise, not too different.

What type of turkey do we eat?

Americans’ love of big birds with tons of white meat has led to the ubiquity of one type: the Broad Breasted White. So great is our obsession that more than 99 percent of American turkeys come from just a few strains of that breed.

Can a domestic turkey mate with a wild turkey?

Do wild turkeys ever breed with domestic turkeys? Yes, but the odds of that are very rare. For generations, wild turkeys have adapted to survive in the wild.

Are turkeys smart or dumb?

No “Dumb” Birds Here Turkeys are actually quite intelligent. They are really good at geography and can learn the details of really large areas which is especially useful for finding food. Turkeys exhibit problem-solving behavior and are curious and inquisitive animals.

How do you tell the difference between male and female turkeys?

Male turkeys have larger wattles, the flap of skin under their beak, than females. They also have more caruncles, bumps or growths, on their heads and necks. Both the wattles and caruncles of male turkeys turn bright red when they are strutting and showing off for females.