Wild Turkey

(Meleagris gallopavo)

Conservation Status
Wild Turkey
Photo by Lynn Rubey
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNA - Not applicable

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Male: 36 to 42 in length, 66 wingspan

Female: 36 in length, 48 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
  No similar species  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Deciduous and mixed woodlands, riparian woodlands.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

 

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Reintroduced. Locally common year-round resident.

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Galliformes (landfowl)  
 

Family

Phasianidae (pheasants, grouse, and allies)  
  Subfamily Meleagridinae  
 

Genus

Meleagris (turkeys)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)

Florida Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola)

Merriam’s Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami)

Gould’s Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana)

Rio Grande Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)

South Mexican Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Dan W. Andree

 
 

Wild Turkey Nest & Eggs...

I came across it on a prairie in Norman Co. Mn. 6-27-23. There were a bunch of small brush like shrubs in one corner of the prairie and I walked past and a turkey pretty much kind of ran out and off across the prairie a distance away. It stopped and made some soft sounds so I took a couple photos and left.

I didn’t touch the eggs etc. and the Turkey hen was waiting for me to leave to get back to her eggs. First time I ever seen wild turkey eggs and nest. Just thought I’d share this.

  Wild Turkey  
           
 

Wild Turkeys....

A bunch of them near a county paved road. They all looked pretty healthy and numerous. One would think wild turkey hunting would be pretty good.

  Wild Turkey  
           
 

Wild Turkeys and Autumn Woodlands...

  Wild Turkey  
           
 

Wild Turkeys ...

Three tom turkeys rural Norman co. Mn. on April 10, 2018. They were all displaying like the one on the gravel back road to the females which were just inside the woods. The two off the road in the snow seen me so quit fanning their tails etc. and all three eventually wandered into the woods.

  Wild Turkey  
           
 

One in the open - one in the brush.

  Wild Turkey  
 

Kim Harcey

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
 

Turkey came to vist at my 2nd floor dining room window!

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey      
 

Molly and Robert Power

 
    Wild Turkey      
 

Ramona Abrego

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey      
 

Kirk Nelson

 
 

Wild Turkey - Hen

 
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

Wild Turkey - Jake

 
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

Wild Turkey - Tom

 
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

Wild Turkey

Wild turkey, early evening at the Visitors’ Center

  Wild Turkey  
           
 

Wild Turkey, hen

Wild turkey, early evening at the Visitors’ Center

  Wild Turkey  
           
  Wild turkey hens with about a dozen poults (that I saw). Most of them walked off into the woods, but several flew into the trees.   Wild Turkey  
           
  Strutting tom and hen near the visitors' center, Fort Snelling State Park   Wild Turkey  
        Wild Turkey  
 

Margot Avey

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey      
 

Lynn Rubey

 
 

A flock of Wild Turkey Hens in Ortonville, Mn.

 
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

A Wild Turkey Hen.

 
    Wild Turkey      
 

Wayne Rasmussen

 
    Wild Turkey      
 

Tom Baker

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
    Wild Turkey      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Bird

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey Nest  
           
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

Feather

 
    Wild Turkey   Wild Turkey  
           
 

Track

 
    Wild Turkey      
           
 

Nest

 
    Wild Turkey      

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 

Wild Turkey
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

  Wild Turkey  

Wild Turkey
JMC Nature Photos

  Wild Turkey  

Wild Turkeys
Craig A. Mullenbach

  Wild Turkeys  
 
About

Here are some pics and video of local wild turkeys.

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this bird.

 
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Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

Dan W. Andree

 
 

Jan. 2015 Wild Turkeys near the Gary Pines, Mn.
Published on Feb 18, 2015

 
   
 
About

Wild turkeys in a field at the edge of the Gary Pines near Gary, Mn. Populations are definitely on the rise. I didn't have a long enough zoom lens on to get very close to them and it was kind of cold on the fingers anyway that day.

   
       
 
Other Videos
 
 

Wild Turkey (Phasianidae: Meleagris gallopavo) Flock Feeding in Snow
Carl Barrentine

 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Dec 16, 2010

Photographed west of Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (16 December 2010)

 
 

Wild Turkey (Phasianidae: Meleagris gallopavo) Flock, Preening and Feeding
Carl Barrentine

 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Aug 11, 2010

Photographed NE of the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (10 August 2010).

 
 

Wild Turkeys (Phasianidae: Meleagris gallopavo)
Carl Barrentine

 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Sep 30, 2011

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (29 September 2011).

 
 

Wild Turkeys, "Wild Turkey" - November 24, 2013
Don Gagnon

 
   
 
About

Published on Nov 24, 2013

Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), Gagnon Wildlife Habitat, Pottersville, Somerset, Massachusetts, Sunday afternoon, November 24, 2013, 12:58 PM - Canon PowerShot SX260 HS IMG_57409; 2:00 min.

Music: "Wild Turkey-UPPM" by Mike Dowling (Other, 2:00)

 
 

Wild Turkeys (Phasianidae: Meleagris gallopavo) Foraging
Carl Barrentine

 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 13, 2011

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (13 May 2011).

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Dan W. Andree
6/27/2023

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

I came across it on a prairie in Norman Co. Mn. 6-27-23. There were a bunch of small brush like shrubs in one corner of the prairie and I walked past and a turkey pretty much kind of ran out and off across the prairie a distance away. It stopped and made some soft sounds so I took a couple photos and left.

I didn’t touch the eggs etc. and the Turkey hen was waiting for me to leave to get back to her eggs. First time I ever seen wild turkey eggs and nest. Just thought I’d share this.

Wild Turkey  
  Kim Harcey
3/24/2023

Location: Cambridge, MN

Wild Turkey  
  Kim Harcey
3/12/2023

Location: Cambridge, MN

Wild Turkey  
  Kim Harcey
1/5/2023

Location: Cambridge, MN

Wild Turkey  
  Dan W. Andree
10/6/2022

Location: Near Twin Valley, Mn

A bunch of them near a county paved road. They all looked pretty healthy and numerous. One would think wild turkey hunting would be pretty good.

Wild Turkey  
  Bonnie
5/4/2021

Location: Yellow Medicine County

My back yard just 1 huge male

 
  Molly and Robert Power
3/24/2021

Location: Albany MN

Wild Turkey

 
  Ramona Abrego

Location: Northfield area

Wild Turkey

 
  Kirk Nelson
4/11/2020

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Wild Turkey - Jake

Wild Turkey

 
  Kirk Nelson
12/31/2019

Location: Banning State Park

Saw some wild turkey tracks in the snow along the Skunk Cabbage Trail next to the Kettle River.

 
  Margot Avey
7/25/2019

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Wild Turkey

 
  Kirk Nelson
5/12/2019

Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Long Meadow Lake Unit

Wild turkey, early evening at the Visitors’ Center

Wild Turkey

 
  Lynn Rubey
10/29/2018

Location: Ortonville, Mn

A Wild Turkey Hen.

Wild Turkey

 
  Dan W. Andree
4/10/2018

Location: rural Norman co. Mn.

Three tom turkeys rural Norman co. Mn. on April 10, 2018. They were all displaying like the one on the gravel back road to the females which were just inside the woods. The two off the road in the snow seen me so quit fanning their tails etc. and all three eventually wandered into the woods.

Wild Turkey

 
  Margot Avey
4/10/2017

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Wild Turkey

 
  Wayne Rasmussen
6/25/2016

Location: Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

Wild Turkey

 
  Kirk Nelson
6/18/2016

Location: Wild River State Park

Wild turkey hens with about a dozen poults (that I saw).  Most of them walked off into the woods, but several flew into the trees.

Wild Turkey

 
  Kirk Nelson
9/7/2014

Location: Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Have seen wild turkeys here for a few years now

 
  Kirk Nelson
5/18/2014

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

Strutting tom and hen near the visitors' center, Fort Snelling State Park

Wild Turkey

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit

Boot Lake SNA

Buffalo River State Park

Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA

Carver Park Reserve

Chamberlain Woods SNA

Chimney Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Cleary Lake Regional Park

Clifton E. French Regional Park

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve

Des Moines River SNA

Dodge Nature Center

Fort Snelling State Park

Frontenac State Park

Gneiss Outcrops SNA

Great River Bluffs State Park

Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

Hampton Woods WMA

Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

Helen Allison Savanna SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA

Kasota Prairie

Lake Carlos State Park

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Lawrence Creek SNA

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Maplewood State Park

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Mille Lacs Moraine SNA

Minnesota Valley NWR, Louisville Swamp Unit

Mound Prairie SNA

Myre-Big Island State Park

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

North Fork Zumbro Woods SNA

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Partch Woods SNA

Pin Oak Prairie SNA

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Quarry Park SNA

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

Rice Lake State Park

River Terrace Prairie SNA

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

St. Croix Savanna SNA

Savage Fen SNA

Seminary Fen SNA

Sibley State Park

Spring Creek Prairie SNA

Spring Lake Regional Park

Springbrook Nature Center

Swedes Forest SNA

Tamarack Nature Center

Townsend Woods SNA

Twin Lakes SNA

Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA

Vermillion River WMA

Westwood Hills Nature Center

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wild Indigo SNA

William O’Brien State Park

Wood-Rill SNA

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

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