Facts You Probably Know About The 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.

First, they can grow up to 1.2 meters long. They have a wide variety of colors and happen to be colorful than the American wild turkeys. Both the male and female have blue heads with red nodules emerging from the heads. The male has 4cm spurs on their legs. These come in handy especially when they are fighting each other for various reasons.

They feed on leaves, seeds, insects, berries among other things. This is basically what the domesticated turkeys feed on too. They are omnivores meaning they eat both meat and vegetation. During the mating season, the male gobble and strut around the females in attempts to get their attention. This actually happens with chicken too.

These birds are spread in Central America and some parts of Mexico including Belize and Guatemala. However, their population continues to decrease rapidly. This is because their habitat is being destroyed. Another reason is the constant hunting by the locals and the predators that have gone on for so long. The predators include raccoons, birds of prey jaguars among many other animals.

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.

These turkeys have six different species. The first one is the one found on the eastern side of America which the pilgrims used to eat really. This species has extended all the way to Canada. Most people refer to it as the forest bird as it is mainly found in the forest. It is the most dominant species, and it stands at a strong 5million in number.

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.

A very interesting fact is the ability to determine the gender of a turkey by just observing their droppings. The male produces spiraling droppings while the female produce that which is shaped like the letter J. They can run at a speed of 25 miles per hour. The flying is also fast as they fly at a rate of 55 miles per hour.

They lay about 10-12 eggs over a period of 2 weeks. They sit on them for a period of 28 days after which they hatch and follow their mother everywhere. A group of associate males can go out hunting for females, but merely one gets to mate with the female.




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