They will strut, fluff their feathers, drag their wings, and gobble to attract the attention of hens. During this time, the toms perform courtship displays. The turkey breeding season begins in early April and continues through early June. This behavior is usually seen during the breeding season. Turkeys travel in flocks, and within each flock they develop a “pecking order.” Turkeys will peck at birds that they believe are below them in social status in order to display their dominance. They generally make a yelp or clucking noise. Hens have a rusty-brown body and a blue-gray head. The females, called “hens,” are smaller than toms and weigh 9 to 12 pounds. Males also make the distinctive “gobble” sound during this time to attract females. During the breeding season, they have red, blue, and white skin on the heads. They have dark black-brown bodies, and a long beard of hair-like feathers on their chests. Adult males, called “toms,” can stand up to 2.5 feet tall with an average weight of 18 to 20 pounds. Bold behavior like this can be very difficult to change, so it’s always best to view turkeys from a distance and never offer them food.Įastern wild turkeys are large birds. As a result, they may act aggressive towards people and event attempt to peck at them. When turkeys are fed by and interact with people regularly, they begin to lose their natural fear of humans. However, being in an urban area like New York City can cause them to be more aggressive. They usually roost at night in tall trees to avoid predators, but create their nesting sites on the ground in small depressions lined with grasses and leaves. They can fly, but typically get around by walking or running. Wild turkeys generally live in woods, mountain forests, and wooded swamps, preferring areas with a mixture of woodland and open clearings. There are approximately 180,000 turkeys currently living in New York, including some that have made their home right here in New York City. With the help of a 1959 program instituted by the State Conservation Department that involved reintroducing turkeys to areas throughout New York, wild turkeys began to thrive again in the state. It wasn’t until around 1948 that they began to return, crossing into western New York from northern Pennsylvania. Between habitat loss and unregulated hunting, most of the wild turkeys in New York were exterminated by the mid-1840s. However, turkeys lost much of their habitat when local forests were cleared by settlers for timber and to create farmland. Wild turkeys occupied southern New York State when it was first colonized by Europeans. They are believed to have been in North America before humans inhabited the continent, though their history within New York is checkered. Eastern wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo) can be found in the city, and are native to New York State. There are turkeys in New York City, and not just the ones that grace our dinner tables and float down Central Park West on Thanksgiving.
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