What Most People Do Not Know About Ocellated Turkey

By Virginia Clark


Thanksgiving is one of those holidays in the United States that people really enjoy. The main symbol of Thanksgiving day is having the turkey. They rare these birds all year round so that they can have a juicy stake in thanks giving day. These turkeys have relatives known as an ocellated turkey. Below are some facts about them.

The turkeys all have blue heads with red nodules coming out of them. The turkeys we rare are usually red-heads. They are the most colorful of all the bird species as one might have a variety of colors. They are capable of growing up to 1.2 meters in length when healthy. The males have spurs of up to 4 cm emerging from their legs which they use to fight.

They are omnivore birds which means they feed both on plants and animals. In the wild, however, their diet contains beetles, berries, leaves, seeds and other things. The male is known as the gobble while the female is in known as a hen. During the mating season, the gobble struts and goes around the female in an effort to attract.

They are found in Central America and in Mexico, mainly in Belize and Guatemala. Unfortunately, their population continues to decrease by the day. This is mainly because of the numerous hunts taking place by the locals and the predators. The fact that their habitat is being destroyed is also a major contributor to the decrease in population.

If you ask randomly, people will tell you that bird to them is a large chicken. Evolution of over 45million years ago shows that the only relationship between bird and chicken is that they are birds. In the early 1900s, these turkeys were hunted and almost became extinct. A program was introduced that helped in their conservation.

Turkeys come in many different species. Actually, they are six species. One of them is found on the eastern side of America and has extended into Canada. These are commonly known as forest turkeys as they mainly inhabit the forest. They are the majority of the turkeys and are therefore the most dominant. They currently stand at 5million.

Males have a beard of modified feathers. These are usually found on the breast of the male turkey. The female does not have a beard. Both male and females have a snood. It is more visible in the males. Females seem to prefer the males who have longer snoods. These snoods are also used in the determination of the winner in a fight.

These birds have the opinion of either walking or running. They usually prefer to run. Their speed stands at 25miles per hour while running. In flight, they cover 55 miles within one hour. You can actually be able the difference between a male and a female not only by physical appearance but also by the way their droppings look. The males are spiral while the females are J shaped.

Males that are related can go after the same female, but only one will get to mate. The female lays 10-12eggs over a span of 2 weeks. The incubation period is 28 days after which the eggs hatch.




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