Interesting Facts About The Turkey

Looking around for some interesting facts about turkeys, I ran across a few things you may or may not know about them. The turkey I'm sure you do know is among the most famous birds in North America. But did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States? 

The turkey's popularity comes from the American people's love of eating the bird for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Domestic turkeys, raised on farms, weigh twice what a wild turkey does, which pretty much makes it impossible for them to fly.

Wild turkeys are the largest game birds found in this part of the world. They spend their days foraging for food like acorns, seeds, small insects and wild berries. Wild turkeys are covered with dark feathers that help them blend in with their woodland homes.  The bare skin on the throat and head of a turkey can change color from flat gray to striking shades of red, white, and blue when the bird becomes distressed or excited. Unlike domestic turkeys,they spend their nights in low branches of trees (yes, wild turkeys can fly!).

Peacocks may be the most colorful, but they aren't the only birds who use their fancy tails to attract a mate.  Each spring male turkeys try to befriend as many females as possible.  Male turkeys, also called "Tom Turkeys" or "Gobblers" puff up their bodies and spread their tail feathers (just like a peacock).They grunt, make a "gobble gobble sound" and strut about shaking their feathers.  This fancy turkey trot helps the male attract females (or hens) for mating.

Thanks http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/turkey.htm for the interesting facts.

On a side note: One thing that I do know is that both wild and domestic turkey meat is very Tasty!