Wild Turkey

The wild turkey is only one of two domesticated birds native to the New World. They thrive in open forests across the United States, parts of Mexico, and southern Canada, and forage on the ground in flocks for fruits, nuts, seeds, and the occasional insect. Although data on early population densities is scarce, we know that during the 1800s there were an estimated 10 million wild turkeys in North America. By the 1940s, the North American population was reduced to approximately 300,000 birds due primarily to overhunting and agricultural development. In many states, the wild turkey vanished completely. During the mid-twentieth century, wildlife agencies started to create hunting regulations and conservationists began restoration programs, allowing the wild turkey populations to rebound. Although the recovery of the wild turkey is considered a great conservation success story, the species is still vulnerable to the effects of habitat loss and climate change.