Turkeys are large, heavyset galliforms in the genus Meleagris, indigenous to the Americas. They are among the largest birds in their native ranges, as well as being one of the heaviest birds in …

Those odd birds at your Thanksgiving table are even wilder than you thought. Amuse your guests with some offbeat turkey facts.

Dec 19, 2025 · turkey, either of two species of birds classified as members of either the family Phasianidae or Meleagrididae (order Galliformes). The best known is the common turkey …

In the early 1500s, European explorers brought home Wild Turkeys from Mexico, where native people had domesticated the birds centuries earlier. Turkeys quickly became popular on …

Nov 17, 2022 · While they might not look like the fastest birds, Wild Turkeys are surprisingly confident fliers, capable of hitting 60 miles per hour. They are also more agile than they appear.

Domestic turkeys, bred for meat production, are derived from the Mexican subspecies of the wild turkey and have undergone significant genetic changes through selective breeding.

Nov 8, 2019 · Turkeys have been evolving in North America for more than 20 million years and share a recent common ancestor with other fowl, like grouse and pheasants. It is the wild …

Nov 20, 2024 · Learn turkey trivia and everything you ever wanted to know about the Wild Turkey. The first description of the turkey was written by Oviedo in 1525 in his General and Natural …

Dec 22, 2025 · You might spot them pecking along a trail, roosting in trees, or crossing a country road single file. When they're together, you may ask: What is a group of wild turkeys called?

Wild turkeys are large, ground-dwelling birds with long legs, long necks and large fan-shaped tails. They have short, rounded wings. Male wild turkeys have dark, iridescent plumage. Their …