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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Meleagris gallopavo
Wild Turkey

 
Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus, 1758
English Name: Wild Turkey
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: B-WITU
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Aves Galliformes Phasianidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Apr 2016)
Provincial Status: SNA (Mar 2015)
BC List: Exotic
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
Migratory Bird Convention Act:
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Global Reproduction Comments: Female incubates average of 10-12 eggs for 27-28 days, beginning ning late April-early May in Alabama, Florida, New York, early May in Minnesota; most nests initiated mid-April to mid-May in northeastern Colorado. Hatching begins in May in south, usually early June in north. Young are tended by female; brood stays together until winter. Females first breed as yearlings.
Global Ecology Comments: Sexes usually form separate flocks in winter. In Massachusetts, predation exerted greatest influence on productivity; in Minnesota, winter conditions and resulting pre-breeding female condition were important factor in productivity (Vander Haegen et al. 1988). In southeastern Oklahoma, mean seasonal home range sizes for adult females were 225 ha (winter), 865 ha (spring), 780 ha (summer), and 459 ha (fall) (Bidwell et al. 1989). Home range in Montana was 260 to 520 hectares (Jonas 1966). In Colorado, adult males moved an average distance of 5.3 km from winter ranges to spring breeding areas; subadult males moved an average distance of 8.7 km; in spring males moved about 1000 m between morning and evening roosts used on the same day (Hoffman 1991). In north, deep snow restrict movements.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y /
N /
N /
na /
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence) 		Agriculture / Cultivated Field / Unknown
Agriculture / Hedgerow / Unknown
Agriculture / Pasture/Old Field / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Unknown
Global Habitat Comments: Forest and open woodland, scrub oak, deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous areas, especially in mountainous regions (Subtropical and Temperate zones) (AOU 1983). Also agricultural areas in some regions, which may provide important food resources in winter (e.g., in Massachusetts, Vander Haegen et al. 1989). Roosts in trees at night. Severe winters and/or lack of winter habitat are important limiting factors in many northern areas. In a South Dakota ponderosa pine ecosystem, females with young selected mainly large meadows (Rumble and Anderson 1993).

Nests normally on the ground, usually in open areas at the edge of woods; rarely nests in trees (Fletcher, 1994, Wilson Bull. 106:562-563). In South Dakota, almost all nests initiated in April were in woodland communities whereas nests started after the first week of May were primarily in grassland communities; selected nest sites with concealing vegetation immediately above the nest; nests were placed in habitats associated with high interspersion; shrubs were strongly selected for as nesting cover in grassland; grassland nest sites had a high degree of visual obstruction immediately around the nest site (Day et al. 1991). Sites with good concealment also were selected in Arkansas (Badyaev 1995).
Food Habits: Frugivore: Adult, Immature
Granivore: Adult, Immature
Herbivore: Adult, Immature
Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Feeds on seeds, nuts, acorns, fruits, and grains, buds, and young grass blades. During summer eats many insects; may also eat some small vertebrates (frogs, toads, snakes, etc). Principal winter foods in the northeastern part of the range include acorns, fruits of multiflora rose and barberry, apples, field corn, fertile fronds of sensitive fern and various other ferns, mosses, and hardwood seeds and buds. In Massachusetts, manure spread on fields was an important source of food in winter (Vander Haegen et al. 1989). Usually forages on the ground.
Global Phenology: Diurnal: Adult, Immature
Global Phenology Comments: Most active in early morning and late afternoon.
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 117/ / 7400
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: Native to the eastern and southwestern U.S., Mexico; southern Ontario. Extirpated or reduced in much of former range but introduced widely within, and outside of, former range. Established in Hawaiian Islands (Niihau, Lanai, Maui, Hawaii).
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: HAMMERSON, G.
Last Updated: Apr 01, 1996
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
Badyaev, A. V. 1995. Nesting habitat and nesting success of eastern wild turkeys in the Arkansas Ozark highlands. Condor 97:221-232.
Bidwell, T. G., et al. 1989. Habitat use by female eastern wild turkeys in southeastern Oklahoma. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:34-39.
Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, et al. 1990b. The Birds of British Columbia Vol. 2: Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC.
Day, K. S., L. D. Flake, and W. L. Tucker. 1991. Characteristics of wild turkey nest sites in a mixed-grass prairie--oak-woodland mosaic in the northern great plains, South Dakota. Can. J. Zool. 69:2840-2845.
Dickson, J. G., compiler and editor. 1992. The wild turkey: biology and management. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. xv + 463 pp.
Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
Hoffman, R. W. 1991. Spring movements, roosting activities, and home-range characteristics of male Merriam's wild turkey. Southwest. Nat. 36:332-337.
Jonas, R. 1966. Merriam's turkey in southeastern Montana. Montana Fish and Game Department, Helena. Technical Bulletin No. 3. 36pp.
Kimmel, V. L., and W. M. Tzilkowski. 1986. Eastern wild turkey responses to a tape-recorded chick call. Wildl. Soc.Bull. 14:55-59.
Latham, R. M. 1976 (1981). Complete book of the American wild turkey. Stackpole. 228 pp.
Leberg, P. L. 1991. Influence of fragmentation and bottlenecks on genetic divergence of wild turkey populations. Conservation Biology 5(4):522-530.
Ligon, J. S. 1946. History and management of Merriam's wild turkey. New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish, Albuquerque. 84 pp.
Miller, B. K. 1990. Factors affecting survival of transplanted eastern wild turkeys in Indiana. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 18:65-70.
Oberholser, H.C. 1974. The bird life of Texas. 2 vols. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin.
Pack, J. C., W. K. Igo, and C. I. Taylor. 1988. Use of prescribed burning in conjunction with thinning to increase wild turkey brood range habitat in oak-hickory forests. Trans. NE Sect. Wildl. Soc. 45:37-48.
Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.
Rumble, M. A., and S. H. Anderson. 1992. Stratification of habitats for identifying habitat selection by Merriam's turkeys. Great Basin Nat. 52:139-144.
Rumble, M. A., and S. H. Anderson. 1993. Habitat selection of Merriam's turkey (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO MERRIAMI) hens with poults in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Great Basin Nat. 53:131-136.
Sanderson, G. C., and H. C. Shultz. 1973. Wild turkey management. Missouri [Dept. of Conservation?]. 355 pp.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Vander Haegen, W. M., M. W. Sayre, and W. E. Dodge. 1989. Winter use of agricultural habitats by wild turkeys in Massachusetts. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:30-33.
Vander Haegen, W. M., W. E. Dodge, and M. W. Sayre. 1988. Factors affecting productivity in a northern wild turkey population. J. Wildl. Manage. 52:127-133.
Vangilder, L. D., et al. 1987. Reproductive parameters of wild turkey hens in north Missouri. J. Wildl. Manage. 51: 535-540.
Williams, L. E., Jr., and D. H. Austin. 1988. Studies of the wild turkey in Florida. Univ. Florida Press, Gainesville. xxiii + 232 pp. [also Tech. Bull. No. 10, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission]
Williamson, S. J. No date. Forester's guide to wildlife habitat improvement. Cooperative Extension Service, Univ. of New Hampshire. 56 pp.
Zwank, P. J., T. H. White, Jr., and F. G. Kimmel. 1988. Female turkey habitat use in Mississippi River batture. J. Wildl. Manage. 52:253-260.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1996. Species Summary: Meleagris gallopavo. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed May 30, 2026).