Wild turkeys

It seemed fitting as it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend to write about the turkey. I feel safe in saying that more people have seen turkey on the dinner table than in the wild. Wild turkeys were introduced to North America from Mexico. Through their own versatility and the tendency of early Europeans to transplant the birds to new regions they have established themselves across the States, minus Alaska, and southern Canada. Turkeys were heavily hunted for food but the populations have largely recovered.
Turkeys eat a wide range of food including insects, salamanders, snails, seeds and berries, and lots of nuts. Their habitat is largely connected to nut and acorn bearing plants.
Turkeys spend most of their time on the ground including nesting. Turkeys can fly though and will sit in low branches.
So as you sit down to a turkey dinner this weekend, or in a few weeks, or just for a regular meal think about the turkey and its life outside of the dinner table.