The Wild-Side with Jerry Walls

NORTH FLORIDA’S WILD TURKEYS

If you spend any time outdoors in Madison or Jefferson County at one time or another you have seen or will see a wild turkey or two or more. They are large birds with long legs, rounded wide tails and a proportionately small head in relation to the body. The long, slim neck is another identifying characteristic.
Adult male turkeys, called gobblers or toms, are normally more heavy-bodied and larger than the females. Their heads are featherless with pinkish-red skin. The male’s head also has prominent red wattles, called “caruncles.” Males have dark “beards” which is a tuft of feathers on their chest. They sport dark brown or bronze iridescent shiny feathers. Spurs can often be seen on the male’s long legs. Adult males can weigh up to 25 pounds and stand 3 ½ feet high.
Female wild turkeys, called hens, are slimmer than males and not quite as colorful. The bare head is a blue-gray color and lacks the red wattles (caruncles) of the males. Females normally do not have beards but some do. The females that do have one will have a beard a bit smaller and thinner than males.
There are two subspecies of wild turkey in Florida. The eastern wild turkey is normally found in North and Northwest Florida. The smaller Osceola turkey (named after the famous Seminole Indian chief), sometimes called the Florida wild turkey, is normally found just south of Baker County and then ranges south through the Florida peninsula. There are an estimated 150,000 wild turkeys in Florida.
The wild turkey is a woodland bird and prefers forest edges and fields and open areas near trees and other vegetation which provide safe places to hide. They are powerful fliers, especially for short distances. Scientists and researchers have clocked turkeys flying up to 55 miles per hour! However, most turkeys primarily walk to conserve energy. They do spend most of their time on the ground. They can run up to 25 miles per hour. Food items consist of seeds, acorns, insects, fruits, leaves, plant shoots and even small vertebrates.
Social animals, turkeys usually live in flocks of a few birds to as many as 20 or more. They have very acute senses and stay on the alert. Several years ago while living in Madison County, I observed a wild turkey about 100 yards from our house. I was inside the house at the time. Quietly, I walked out to the garage and slowly peered around the corner of the garage. The turkey saw the couple of inches of my head projecting past the garage wall and immediately ran off into the woods. Impressive alertness!
Nesting usually begins in the spring. The female builds a shallow debris-filled or stick nest on the ground where she lays an average of 8 to 12 white, speckled eggs. Why so many? Predators find and eat many of the hatchlings. Hatching takes place about 26 days after continuous incubation. Newly hatched turkeys are called poults. They are quickly mobile and begin to feed themselves soon after hatching.
Predators of turkeys include coyotes, bobcats, feral cats, panthers and birds of prey. I also wonder if non-native fire ants predate on turkey eggs and poults as well.
To this day, my heart skips a beat every time I see a wild turkey in our great outdoors. One of the many reasons to enjoy the great outdoors in Madison and Jefferson County.
The National Wild Turkey Foundation is holding their 2018 convention in Nashville, Tennessee on February 14th to the 18th.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin reportedly wanted the wild turkey as the symbol of the United States not the bald eagle? Truth or myth it makes for a great story.
Reader question: “I have a cardinal continuously pecking at the windows in my home. Why is it doing this?”
Answer: Cardinals, as with many bird species, are territorial. He/she thinks its reflected image is another cardinal in its territory.
Solution: Cover the window with something that will prevent the cardinal’s reflection from showing back at the bird.
Enjoy your nature trails and the great outdoors of North-Central Florida.
For questions or comments, e-mail Jerry at jwalls443@gmail.com I will personally respond to all of your questions or comments.