Wild Turkey - (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America, and is the heaviest member of the Order Galliformes. Turkeys have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. The long fleshy object over a males beak is called a snood. When excited, a male turkey's head turns blue, when ready to fight it turns red. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence.
Significance to Native Americans: The Wild Turkey, throughout its range, is a bird known to have played a significant role in the day-to-day lives of Native American tribes all over North America. Outside of the Thanksgiving feast, it was a favorite meal in Eastern tribes. Eastern Native American tribes consumed both the eggs and meat, sometimes turning the latter into a type of jerky to preserve it and make it last through cold weather. The feathers of turkeys also often made their way into the rituals and headgear of many tribes.
