Wildlife Wednesday — Wild Turkeys

By Andy Ames

Let’s talk turkey. Turkey has long been on the dinner menu. Turkeys are native to North America and were domesticated by the Aztecs over 2000 years ago. Spanish explorers then brought turkeys to Europe in 1529. They became an instant hit and their popularity spread throughout the continent. The pilgrims brought turkeys with them on the Mayflower to the New World only to find they were already there!

Turkeys are prized for their meat. Primarily ground dwellers, they have strong leg muscles that are used for foraging in the leaf litter. (Here in the Estes Valley they can often be found digging below Ponderosas pines.) Like other birds, the breast is composed of two muscles. A larger muscle propels the down stroke of the wing, a smaller is used for the up stroke or recovery phase. This allows more weight to be distributed in the front of the bird for better balance in flight. Above the breast muscles is the wishbone, or furcula. The furcula is essentially two clavicles fused together. Not only does it grant wishes but it also makes flight more efficient. As a bird’s wings move downward the ends of the wishbone are flexed outward. At the bottom of the stroke the wings spring back up with the aid of the wishbone.

Now, thanks to the turkey, you will always have something to talk about as you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner.