n.
Either of two species of birds in the family Meleagrididae.
The North American common turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) has been domesticated since pre-Columbian times. The adult male has a featherless, bright-red head, a fleshy red ornament (snood) growing over the bill, and a similar wattle on the throat. The male (gobbler or tom) may be 50 in. (1.3 m) long and may weigh over 20 lb (10 kg). Wild turkeys inhabit woodlands near water, eating seeds, insects, and an occasional frog or lizard. Males assemble a harem, and each hen lays 815 eggs in a hollow in the ground. An excellent source of meat and easily shot, the wild turkey was practically exterminated by European settlers; conservation efforts have reestablished it in much of its former range. The ocellated turkey ( Agriocharis or Meleagris, ocellata ) of Central America has never been domesticated.
Male common turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ), displaying.
S.C. Bisserot
Bruce Coleman Inc.