Meleagris gallopavo

Turkeys forage in flocks, scratching the leaf litter for acorns, seeds, insects, and berries. They roost in trees at night for safety, use sharp calls and wingbeats to warn the flock of danger, and can burst into flight for short distances when threatened.

Breeding season begins in spring, when males gobble and strut to court hens. Females build shallow ground nests and lay clutches of 8–15 eggs, which they incubate alone for about 28 days; poults are precocial and follow the hen within hours of hatching.

Adult wild turkeys weigh 5–11 kg (11–24 lb) and stand around 1 m (3 ft) tall. They possess long, powerful legs for running and sharp spurs on toms’ legs used in male–male combat; their vision and hearing are well-developed to detect predators.

Native to North America, turkeys were domesticated by Indigenous peoples over 2,000 years ago. European colonists exported domesticated stock back to Europe in the 16th century, leading to widespread breeding of heritage and commercial strains.

Wild turkey populations have rebounded from 20th-century declines thanks to habitat management and regulated hunting; the species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Domesticated turkeys are now one of the world’s most common poultry breeds, raised primarily for meat.