Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey

Ever see a Wild Turkey fly?  Well, they fly very well; they just prefer to walk or run.  Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph and fly up to 55 mph.  This image, captured today just after it landed on the branch, shows a turkey perched about 30 feet high in a the largest tree in the wetlands along my walkabout.

Wild turkeys are native to North America.  In the early 1930s the Wild Turkey was on the verge of extinction.  But today, thanks to wildlife restoration programs, the wild turkey is abundant and thriving.  From only about 30,000 turkeys in the early 1900s to more than 7 million today, they have made an awesome comeback.  Wild Turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as cover from predators and for roosting in trees at night. A varied habitat of both open and covered area is essential for a wild turkey to survive.