The Other Turkey
Have you ever wondered what a turkey x peacock mix would look like? Well here it is! Meet the Ocellated turkey!!! Gobble Gobble Gobble (I wonder what a turkey says in Spanish)
What is an Ocellated turkey? It is in fact a turkey. There are a few differences between our two turkeys. First off, the ocellated turkey is MUCH more colorful. They have baby blue heads with bright orange bumps, and their feathers have vibrant colors with a metallic sheen. They are very fancy looking. The tip of each tail feather has an “eye” similar to peacocks, which is where ocellated (resembling an eye) comes from. Secondly, they are a bit smaller than the northern turkeys. On average these turkeys range between 2-4ft long and around 6-11 pounds. Lastly, our colorful turkeys lack the prominent beard that is seen on the wild turkey. So, in short, a smaller, more colorful version of the Thanksgiving turkey.
Where can you find ocellated turkeys? These turkeys are found on the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes parts of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. They can be found walking in the scrub brush and forested area of the Yucatan. During breeding season, the turkeys move into open fields. They do not have a large range at around 50,000 square mile range.
What do ocellated turkeys eat? These fowl have similar diets to chickens and other forest foragers. They will walk the forest floor looking for corn, seeds, insects, leaves, fruit, and really anything they can get into their gullet. They are not picky eaters.
How do boy turkeys attract the ladies? In very typical bird fashion, the males strut around with their tail feathers on full display. If they really want to up the ante, they will poof out their wings, and scrape them against the ground. I know, very seductive. When the males have shown just how beautifully poofy they are, the peahens choose a male to make chicks. Females usually lay eggs in April, and can lay around 15 eggs, and will incubate them for around 4 weeks. They are able to join the track team a little after hatching, but stay with mom till the next breeding season.
What are turkey superpowers? Well not to be shallow but…..they are the models of the turkey family. These birds were highly regarded in the Mayan culture. They celebrated the birds’ strength, impressive spurs, and of course...the iridescent feathers. These colorful birds are still found around historical Mayan sites.
How many are ocellated turkeys are there? According to the IUCN, there are around 20,000-50,000 ocellated turkeys living in the wild. Unfortunately, their numbers are decreasing.
Graphic from American Bird Conservancy
Science Time!!! (still your favorite section)
Ocellated turkey - Meleagris ocellata
According to the IUCN Red List, ocellated turkeys have been designated as Near Threatened. Major threats to the turkeys include over-hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation, and poultry diseases from domestic chickens. There are parks and community areas in Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala where the turkeys are protected, and steps have been taken to conserve the colorful turkey of the Yucutan.
Thank you for joining us for my special turkey day post. Next week there will not be a post because I am out of town, but I’ll see you back on December 11th!!! Till next time.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Wild Turkeys as well. Photo from the NWTF
Resources:
American Bird Conservancy www.abc.org/bird/ocellated-turkey
BirdLife International. 2020. Meleagris ocellata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22679529A178204994. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22679529A178204994.en.
National Wild Turkey Foundation. (). Know your wild turkey subspecies. Content Hub. https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/know-your-wild-turkey-subspecies
