Here’s Some Interesting Facts About the Wild Turkeys of Connecticut

We discussed alternatives to eating a Turkey on Thanksgiving on the show this week and our animal expert and friend Jen the Zookeeper sent along a few fun facts about the wild turkeys that live right outside your home that I'd like to pass along.

First, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental protection on ct.gov,   wild turkeys were almost eliminated in Connecticut during the 1800's, and truly didn't make a comeback until 356 wild turkeys were released at 18 sites throughout Connecticut between 1975 and 1992. That successful restoration has led to wild turkeys in all 169 towns in Connecticut. Sportsmen were allowed to start hunting them again in 1981.

Adult male turkeys can weigh between 15 and 25 pounds, and females between 8 and 12 pounds. Males are dark in color, with an All American red, white, and blue head. females are lighter in color with a pale blue head. Wild turkeys eat fruit, seeds, insects, and acorns, and the largest male wild turkey ever recorded weighed in at 37 pounds. The wild turkey is already on of the heaviest flying birds in the world.

According to Jen the Zookeeper, wild turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25MPH, and can fly up to 55MPH. Turkeys have excellent eyesight, three times as powerful as us humans, and they sleep in trees. Jen also suggests that if eating a healthy and happy turkey is important to you, order your turkey from a local farm, where they are humanely processed.

The CT DEEP suggest that you do not feed the wild turkeys in your yard, as this encourages the spread of disease, and the loss of wild instincts.