by Kim Sharpe

Created on: November 16, 2008   Last Updated: October 21, 2011

Besides the Bald Eagle, no other bird is more truly American than the turkey. This bird has made its home in the North American continent for close to ten million years. Christopher Columbus might have even given the turkey its name because he decided to call the unusual bird, 'Turk' which is a word for peacock in India. He felt they somehow resembled the Peacock in manner and looks. Even Benjamin Franklin felt the turkey was so uniquely American that he wished to name it the national bird of the United States instead of the eagle.

Today when people think of turkeys, they think of Thanksgiviing and the feast. They envision the succulent meat of the roasted bird complete with stuffing and all the fixings. Turkeys have been valued as a culinary staple for thousands of years. The Native Americans not only made use of the meat but they also used the feathers and even the spurs of the male turkey for arrowheads. Soon the turkey caught on as food for the early settlers, which is what firmly rooted it in the Thanksgiving tradition. Unfortunately, the bird was over hunted to almost extinction by the early 1900s. The wild habitat of the birds began to become scarcer as the forests were cut down to make room for civilization. Today its rare to see a flock of wild turkeys.

The turkey is a unique birds with several distinct features. They live in large flocks for safety. The birds can only fly short distances but they do glide for close to a mile in the right conditions. Domestic turkeys cannot fly because of breeding practices. But due to their inability to fly great distances, they have garnered an extreme running speed for a bird. They can move at speeds close to 18mph.

The male turkey is called a tom. A striking bird, the male is much larger then the female. Its displays wonderful feather shades of red, pink, and blue. The male has a flap of skin that hangs down from the nose and over the beak which is called the snood. Toms also grow a beard which is a large tuft of unusual hair that sprouts from their chest which they proudly show off to impress the females. Only the male gobbles which can be heard in the woods for over a mile. The females simply cluck.

Nowadays, the turkey is raised heavily on farms to fill the commercial need for turkey meat. Domestically bred turkeys  are normally the all white. North Carolina leads the states in turkey production. However, there is also a large market for what is called the Heritage Turkey. These birds are close in look and taste to their wild cousins. They command a far higher price on the meat market as more and more people crave a taste for a more organic natural bird.

There are a wide number of turkeys bred today for hobby. Some of them are extremely eyecatching birds. The Black, Royal Palm, and Bourbon are all outstanding birds for sheer beauty. These varieties are often raised for their feathers which are used in various avenues of the marketplace. Some are raised for meat. But the majority are raised due to a love of the breed and simply for their beauty.

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