Turkeys forage for food during the winter.
The wild turkey is native to North America, and founding father Benjamin Franklin believed that it should have been the national bird, rather than the bald eagle, as it was a native to the new United States. Wild turkeys are hardy, adaptive birds that are found throughout the United States
Geography
According to Nature Works, the turkey is found wild throughout the eastern parts of the United States, in the extreme southern edges of Canada and in Northern Mexico. In the United States, its range goes from the East Coast to Arizona.
Types
There are five different subspecies of turkeys, which have different ranges. The eastern turkey is the most common subspecies, and its range covers the eastern United States. The Rio Grande turkey is found in Texas and north into Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma, while the Merriam's turkey is found in the prairies of Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana as well as the Rocky Mountains. The Gould's turkey is located throughout central Mexico and into the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona, while the Osceola turkey, also known as the Florida turkey, is found only in Florida.
Features
Turkeys are extremely adaptive birds that can be found in a number of areas. No matter what area they are living in, however, their habitat needs to have several features, including open areas where they can mate, nest and forage, trees where they can roost away from predators and a water source.
Diet
The turkey's natural habitat needs to provide it with food, but turkeys are highly omnivorous animals and their diet can vary widely depending on what is available. They will eat acorns, seeds, nuts and ferns during the summer, and will eat shriveled winter fruits, winter cress and new skunk cabbage, if it is available, in the winter. They also will eat insects and small lizards if available.
Nesting
The wild turkey needs flat, covered land for nesting purposes. The wild turkey's nest is a shallow depression in the ground, and it needs to be covered by a wide variety of bush, vines or grass. Between eight and 15 eggs are laid in the nest, and the female needs to remain hidden for between 25 and 31 days as she incubates the eggs. Lack of adequate coverage means that the female turkey will be vulnerable to predators.
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