Hi, I am a Turkey. I am one of the most famous birds in North America and even Benjamin Franklin wanted to make ME, the national bird of the United States. I do make lots of noise, such as GOBBLE… GOBBLE… GOBBLE! People love to eat me on two special holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Domestic Turkeys that live on the farms, are the heaviest compared to the Wild Turkeys.
It is sad to say but domestic Turkeys are so heavy they can’t even fly if they wanted to. Many of you who are hunters know just where to find those Turkeys that live in the woods, in North America, and other parts of the worlds. Those Turkeys I know spend their nights on low branches of trees, and they also spend their days foraging for food such as yummy seeds, acorns, wild berries, and small insects. People think that the Peacock is the only bird that uses their fancy tails and feathers to attract a female, but we do it too.
Every spring us male Turkeys will puff our bodies and spread our tail feathers too. Males are called Toms or Gobblers. You can hear us loudly GOBBLING, and see us shaking and strutting our beautiful feathers for beautiful Hens. Our COOL TROT sure makes the Hens want to mate with us. Once we mate, the female has to make a nest under a bush somewhere in the woods, and soon she will lay speckled and tan eggs. The Hen will incubate up to 18 eggs for about a month. Her Chicks are called Poults and once they hatch her little ones hang out with her for about a year.
Our little ones cannot fly for their first two weeks. If you are hunter you know it’s so hard to hunt those wild Turkeys because they blend in so well in their woodland homes. Many of you might have notices that the bare skin on our head, and throat can change colors from a flat gray to beautiful bright red, white, and blue when we become excited, angry, and scared. These parts called the Waddle, Caruncle and Snood will turn red even when us males are courting too. Do not feel sad when you are eating us, we have gotten used to knowing our lives are short, but be happy knowing that we have a fun life until then.
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