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Escarpment Magazine Fall 2012
Courtship begins during the months of March and April while Turkeys are still
tightly flocked together from the winter. Hens seek out shallow dirt depressions
engulfed with woody vegetation when creating a “nest bowl”. It takes a hen
about 12 to 15 days to lay a complete clutch of eggs, averaging one egg per
day. Hens are reactive to intrusion during egg laying and incubation, which can
take 26-28 days, and may abandon their nest if disturbed. If their first clutch is
unsuccessful they may attempt a second clutch, which often holds a smaller num-
ber of eggs. Some late nest attempts can continue into August in Ontario.
Young Turkeys, called poults, spend the first two weeks of their life on the ground
and require habitat with good overhead cover and abundant insects for food.
If a poult survives the first few weeks of life, its average life expectancy is about
one to two years. Skunks, snakes, crows, and domestic dogs and cats have been
known to consume eggs and poults. Poults’ chance of survival increases once
they can begin flying short distances and can roost in bushes and foliage. In-
clement spring weather, can affect reproduction therefore populations can fluc-
tuate significantly from year to year. Adult Wild Turkeys have been known to
live longer than 10 years. Other factors that affect EasternWild Turkey’s survival
include severe winter weather and hunting. Humans are now the leading pred-
ator of adult turkeys.
*
Eastern Wild Turkeys are prolific and can establish high pop-
ulations quickly if habitat is available and they are protected.
As a result their range is one of the largest of all subspecies.
The Turkey population has now has exceeded the numbers
projected by the Ontario Wild Turkey Management Plan.
Today 5.1 to 5.3 million EasternWild Turkeys inhabit the east-
ern half of the United States, extending as far west as Michi-
gan, Illinois, and into Missouri. In Canada its range extends
into SoutheasternManitoba, all of Ontario, all of Quebec, and
the Maritime Provinces. Some 100,000 Wild Turkeys are lo-
calized to southern Ontario.
The Eastern Wild Turkey was first named 'forest turkey' in
1817,
after their rooting habits. Turkeys are active during the
day, roosting at night to avoid predators. The Wild Turkey's
most specific habitat requirement is brood cover. In residential
areas, it is not uncommon for Turkeys to roost on railings, roofs,
or occasionally on vehicles, however they generally roost in
trees. The exception is hens, who remain on the ground when
incubating eggs and taking care of their young.
Wild Turkeys live in flocks organized by "pecking order." This
order is a social ranking in which each bird is dominant over
birds of lesser social status. Males are polygamous, mating
with as many hens as possible. They attract females by strut-
ting; an act where they puff out their feathers, spread out their
tails and drag their wings. Toms also use strutting as a sign of
social dominance over other toms. Males can reach 30
pounds (14 kg) in weight and can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 m)
tall. Despite their weight, Wild Turkeys, unlike their domestic
counterparts, are agile fliers. They usually fly close to the
ground for no more than 400 m. The wingspan ranges from
1.25
to 1.44 m (4 ft 1 in to 4 ft 9 in).
The males head and neck is brilliantly coloured with red, blue
and white, which can change with the Turkey's mood. The male
is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have
areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold irides-
cence. Hens have feathers that are muted shades of brown
and gray. When toms are excited its head turns blue, a fleshy
flap on its bill expands, and its head becomes engorged with
blood, almost concealing the eyes and bill. When he is ready
to fight, it turns red.
ESCARPMENT NATURE
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pecking order