The story of Maine's native wild turkeys is one of triumphant recovery following extirpation in the early 1800s. We are thankful for successful reintroduction in the 1980s and the healthy population we have today. When your family flocks together this Thanksgiving, be sure to share this cornucopia of wild turkey facts!  

• -Wild turkeys have numerous distinct vocalizations beyond gobble gobble. Their vocabulary includes cackles, clucks, purrs, putts, and more.
• -Wild turkeys are impressive triathletes. They can run 18 miles per hour on foot, fly nearly 60 miles per hour for a short sprint, and are surprisingly powerful swimmers.
• -The bare head and neck of a wild turkey are composed of a wattle, caruncles, and a snood that expands, contracts, and changes color with their mood.
• -It takes more than a single handprint to draw a wild turkey. There can be over 5,000 feathers on a single bird;
• -Young turkey are called "poults"
• -You can tell the sex of the turkey by the shape of their scat—female scat is curly and male scat is a "J" shape.

Click here for more turkey facts from Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Click here for "The Great Tick Debate: Have turkeys been wrongly accused?"