Turkey
Turkeys are huge birds that are often raised by people for their meat. These birds are native to North America. There are two species of turkeys --- the wild turkey, which is found in central and eastern North America, and the ocellated turkey, which is found in Mexico.
Male and female turkeys look slightly different from each other. Male turkeys are larger than females and have colourful plumage and a fan-like tail. They have a red piece of flesh that grows from their forehead over their beak, called a snood, and a fleshy part that grows under their throat, called a wattle. Turkeys eat grains, nuts, seeds and small creatures such as frogs, lizards and snails.
A male turkey is called a tom and a female turkey is called a hen. Male turkeys have protrusions on their legs and spurs, which they use to fight with other male turkeys. Turkeys are believed to have been domesticated by humans more than 2,000 years ago. Turkeys have very good eyesight and can spot their predators from a distance. Turkeys can change the colour of their head from red to blue to white depending on their mood.
Habits:
* Turkeys are social creatures and live in flocks.
* Turkeys are active during the day and sleep at night.
* Turkeys can produce around 20 different kinds of sounds to express themselves and communicate with each other.
* Turkeys often peck the ground to search for food.
* Turkeys eat small stones along with their food. This helps them to grind food in their stomach and aids digestion.
Did you know?
Roasted turkey is an important part of the Christmas meal in the USA, Canada and many European countries.
