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How many types of turkeys are in North America?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Mar 21, 2026

How many types of turkeys are in North America?

The National Wild Turkey Federation website explains that the two species of turkeys are the North American and the ocellated. The North American species has five subspecies, including the Eastern, Florida (Osceola), Rio Grande, Merriam's and Gould's.

Correspondingly, what kind of turkeys are in North America?

The 5 Subspecies of North American Wild TurkeyThe five North American wild turkey subspecies are the eastern, Osceola, Merriam's, Gould's, and Rio Grande. This is a male (tom) eastern wild turkey. This eastern wild turkey flock includes both males and females (toms and hens).

One may also ask, what are the 6 different types of turkeys in the United States? The six types of wild turkeys are: Eastern wild turkey, Osceola wild turkey, Gould's wild turkey, Merriam's wild turkey, Rio Grande wild turkey, and the Ocellated wild turkey.

Hereof, what are the four species of turkeys in North America?

Where the Wild Turkeys Are

  • Eastern wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
  • Osceola wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo osceola)
  • Rio Grande wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)
  • Merriam's wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo merriami)
  • Gould's wild turkey. (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana)

How many types of turkey are there?

Bourbon Red Bronze turkey Midget White turkey

Do turkeys mourn their dead?

Turkeys have a refined "language" of yelps and cackles. They mourn the death of a flock member and so acutely anticipate pain that domestic breeds have had epidemical heart attacks after watching their feathered mates take that fatal step towards Thanksgiving dinner. They clearly feel and appear to understand pain.

What's a female turkey called?

hens

What is the biggest type of turkey?

The Gould's turkey is a bird of the mountainous areas of this region. It is the largest of the five subspecies and resembles the Merriam's turkey. They have longer legs, larger feet, and larger center tail feathers than any of the other wild turkey subspecies in North America.

What is turkey meat called?

Not Every Animal Is Beef! Learn Their Meat Names
AnimalsMeat Name
Water BuffaloCarabeef
GoatChevon
ChickenChicken
TurkeyTurkey

What state has the most wild turkeys?

Kansas. — with Michael Waddell. North-central and northeastern Kansas continue to consistently have the most turkeys in the state and also provide abundant public hunting access. There are an estimated 300,000 wild birds, roughly half of which are Rio Grande turkeys.

What are turkey feet called?

shank

Are turkeys white?

Wild Turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys. In completely opposite fashion, domestic turkeys are normally white in color, an intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass.

What is the largest wild turkey?

Lyon, Ky. — The National Wild Turkey Federation has certified the largest turkey killed on record. The gobbler, 37.6 pounds, was shot with a firearm by David Guess of Lyon County, Kentucky, on April 21. The previous record turkey, 37.1 pounds, was killed in 2002 in Oregon.

Are turkey native to the United States?

Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. The Wild Turkey is one of just two species of turkey in the world. The other is the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) of Mexico and Central America.

Is a turkey female?

Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) represent an iconic North American bird species. Turkey males are called toms or gobblers, and females are called hens. Mature males and females are easily distinguished from each other.

Do ocellated turkeys gobble?

Male Ocellated turkeys don't gobble, they sing. They wear no beards, weigh far less than U.S. birds, and still, these jungle turkeys are as wary as any U.S. tom. Male and female coloration is similar; only male Ocellated turkeys have spurs. Historically, hunters shot roosted turkeys off the limb.

What is the difference between a jake and a tom turkey?

A jake is an immature male bird. A gobbler or tom turkey is a mature male bird. There will be shifts in physical appearance and behavior as they get older, but a gobbler is essentially a gobbler on its 2 year birthday.

What breed is a wild turkey?

Midget White turkey
Dindon blanc de Moscou

What are the five species of turkeys in North America?

The five North American wild turkey subspecies are the eastern, Osceola, Merriam's, Gould's, and Rio Grande.

What is the Wild Turkey Grand Slam?

The Grand Slam will take you around the country, chasing each of the four most common wild turkey subspecies in the U.S.: Eastern, Merriam's, Osceola and Rio Grande. Finishing the Super Slam involves tagging a wild turkey in each of the 49 states that have turkeys (Alaska is void of turkey tags).

Where are Merriam turkeys located?

The Merriam's Wild Turkey

They are: New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Texas and Nevada; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

How many states have wild turkeys?

They can be found in 49 U.S. states, with the only exception being Alaska, Hughes said. In total, about 7 million wild turkeys live in the United States; prior to 1500, an estimated 10 million turkeys existed, he added.

Where are ocellated turkeys found?

Yucatán Peninsula

Is turkey tenderloin white or dark meat?

Turkey tenderloins are the tender long strip of white meat hidden under the turkey breast. Because this strip of meat is an underused muscle of the turkey, it is very tender and excellent for recipes.

How can you tell the difference between a wild turkey?

The easiest distinction between a wild turkey or a domestic turkey is simply what color its feathers are. Wild Turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys.

What countries have wild turkeys?

Native from the central valleys to the northern mountains of Mexico and the southernmost parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Gould's wild turkeys are heavily protected and regulated. The subspecies was first described in 1856. They exist in small numbers in the U.S. but are abundant in northwestern portions of Mexico.

What does it mean if the turkey is grade A?

Grade A indicates that the poultry products are virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers. Bone-in products will have no broken bones.

What species of turkey are in California?

The two primary subspecies found in California are the Rio Grande and Merriam's subspecies. Eastern turkeys and various hybrid turkeys have also been released in the state. Pior to the late 1950s, turkeys had become established primarily along the central coast from DFG game farms.

What is a Gould turkey?

The Gould's Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana) is the largest subspecies of wild turkeys, but has the smallest population. It was first described in 1856, in northern Mexico, and its range extended into the sky islands of southern Arizona and New Mexico.

What kind of turkeys do we eat?

There are only two living species of turkey: Meleagris gallopavo, or the wild turkey, which is the one we domesticated and eat with stuffing, and the one which most Americans are familiar with. And then there's Meleagris ocellata, or the ocellated turkey, which isn't as well known.

Where are all the turkeys?

Once on brink of extirpation from much of their historic range, wild turkeys are now thriving. They are found in all 48 contiguous states, plus Hawaii, Mexico and parts of Canada.

How big can a wild turkey get?

The eastern wild turkey is a large, majestic bird. Adult males weigh anywhere between 15 and 25 pounds, and measure 48 inches. Adult females are smaller, weighing between 8 and 12 pounds and measuring 36 inches.

What is a turkey's natural habitat?

Habitat and Diet

Wild turkeys typically forage on forest floors, but can also be found in grasslands and swamps. They feed on nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and salamanders.

What kind of turkeys are in Mexico?

The ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is a species of turkey residing primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, as well as in parts of Belize and Guatemala.

Can you buy Ocellated Turkey?

Few ocellated turkeys have been bred in captivity successfully. Sid Drenth, an exotic bird-breeder located at his Fantasia Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, has never been able to breed ocellated turkeys successfully, despite his experience with other exotic birds. Few people ask to buy an ocellated turkey from him.

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