Wildlife Guide · North America (United States, Mexico, southern Canada)

Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

North America's big, iridescent ground bird and the wild ancestor of the farmyard turkey.

Least Concern (IUCN)

A male wild turkey (tom) in full display, fanning its broad iridescent bronze tail feathers, with a bare bluish-red head, dangling red wattle and snood, in open North American woodland.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — “20260428 tom wild turkey matthaei botanical gardens PD08908 1” by Paul Danese, CC BY-SA 4.0

In brief

A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large North American ground bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey. Males have iridescent feathers, a bare red-and-blue head and a fan-shaped tail, and produce a loud gobble that carries up to a mile.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large, ground-dwelling game bird native to North America and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey. Males, called toms or gobblers, are unmistakable: dark, iridescent body feathers that shimmer bronze, copper and green, a bare bluish head with red wattles, and a fan-shaped tail they spread in courtship. Their carrying "gobble" can travel up to a mile. Despite weighing several kilograms, turkeys are agile and can fly short distances in fast, powerful bursts, usually roosting in trees overnight. Once heavily reduced by hunting and habitat loss, the species recovered dramatically across the twentieth century and is now widespread and classed as Least Concern.

Up to 1 mile

distance a tom's gobble can carry

~7 million

estimated wild turkeys in North America today

5-11 kg

typical weight of an adult male

recognised subspecies

Figures sourced from Wikipedia - Wild turkey, IUCN Red List, Encyclopaedia Britannica - Turkey (bird) and other references on this page.

Wild Turkey: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Wild Turkey
Common name	Wild turkey
Scientific name	Meleagris gallopavo
IUCN status	Least Concern
Range	North America (US, Mexico, southern Canada)
Habitat	Mature woodland with open clearings and fields
Diet	Omnivore: acorns, nuts, seeds, berries, insects
Male weight	About 5-11 kg
Female weight	About 2.5-5.4 kg
Wingspan	Roughly 1.25-1.44 m
Subspecies	6 recognised

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Wild Turkey
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Galliformes
Family	Phasianidae
Genus	Meleagris
Species	Meleagris gallopavo

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The wild turkey declined sharply due to hunting and habitat loss, dropping to roughly 30,000 birds in the 1930s, but recovered strongly through habitat protection and reintroduction efforts to around 7 million today. It is widespread across North America and not considered threatened.
Population: Approximately 7 million in North America
Trend: Stable to increasing
Assessed: Assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern
CITES: Not listed on CITES

One of conservation's clearest recovery stories: from near-collapse in the early twentieth century to abundance across much of its native range today.

Key Facts: Wild Turkey

The wild turkey is a large North American game bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey.
Males (toms) display iridescent plumage, a fan-shaped tail and a gobble that can carry up to a mile.
Despite their bulk, turkeys are strong short-distance fliers and roost in trees at night.
They are omnivores, favouring acorns and other nuts alongside seeds, berries and small animals.
The species recovered from roughly 30,000 birds in the 1930s to around 7 million today.
The IUCN lists the wild turkey as Least Concern, with a stable to increasing population.

What does a wild turkey look like?

Wild turkeys are big, long-legged birds with rounded bodies and a distinctive fan-shaped tail. Adult males are larger and more ornate than females, typically measuring around 100-125 cm long and weighing roughly 5-11 kg, with the heaviest birds heavier still; females are smaller, usually about 76-95 cm and 2.5-5.4 kg. The wingspan spans roughly 1.25-1.44 metres. A male's body feathers are dark but richly iridescent, glinting bronze, copper, green and gold in good light, while females are duller and better camouflaged. The most striking feature is the bare head and neck, which can flush blue, white and red, especially in displaying males. Fleshy growths include the snood, a flap of skin over the bill; the wattle at the throat; and bumpy caruncles on the neck. Males also sport a tuft of coarse, hair-like feathers called a beard on the chest, and spurs on the legs used in fights with rivals. These features together make a displaying tom one of the most recognisable birds in North America.

Where do wild turkeys live and what do they eat?

Wild turkeys are birds of North America, ranging across much of the United States and into Mexico and southern Canada. They favour a mix of mature woodland and open clearings, fields or grassland: trees provide acorns, nuts and safe overnight roosts, while open ground offers seeds, insects and space to forage and display. This patchwork of forest and edge habitat suits them well, and they have adapted to farmland and even suburban fringes in many areas. Turkeys are omnivores with a broad diet. They especially favour hard mast such as acorns and other nuts, but also eat seeds, grains, berries, buds and roots, supplemented by insects and other invertebrates and occasionally small amphibians or reptiles. They typically feed by walking and scratching at the leaf litter and ground, foraging in flocks for much of the year. At dusk they fly up to roost in trees, which helps keep them safe from ground predators through the night.

How do wild turkeys behave and breed?

For much of the year wild turkeys are social, moving in flocks that often separate by sex and age. In the breeding season males compete for mates through dramatic display: a tom puffs out his body feathers, fans his tail, drops his wings and struts while gobbling, drumming and making a spitting sound. The gobble, given mainly by males in spring, can carry up to a mile and advertises his presence to females and rivals alike. Dominant males may mate with several females. Hens nest on the ground in a shallow, concealed scrape, usually laying a sizeable clutch of eggs that they incubate alone. The young, called poults, are precocial: they can walk and feed themselves soon after hatching and follow the hen, who broods and protects them. Within a couple of weeks they can make short flights up to low roosts. Turkeys communicate with a wide range of calls beyond the gobble, including yelps, clucks and purrs, used to keep flocks together and signal alarm.

Wild turkey vs domestic turkey

Feature	Wild turkey	Domestic turkey
Species	Meleagris gallopavo	Meleagris gallopavo (bred form)
Origin	Wild across North America	Bred from a Mexican subspecies
Plumage	Dark, iridescent bronze and green	Often white; bred for meat
Weight	Leaner; males about 5-11 kg	Frequently much heavier
Flight	Strong short-distance flier	Usually too heavy to fly
Behaviour	Alert, wary, roosts in trees	Tame, farm-reared

Turkey Breeds Guide

From the Broad Breasted White and Bourbon Red to the Narragansett, Bronze, Royal Palm and four more — explore 8 of the world's most searched domestic turkey breeds with temperament, conformation, common health issues and responsible care guidance.

Broad Breasted White

United States

Docile, heavy, limited mobility at maturity

Bourbon Red

United States (Kentucky)

Active, foraging, hardy

Narragansett

United States (Rhode Island)

Calm, hardy, good forager

Bronze

United States

Active, hardy, foraging

Royal Palm

United States

Active, ornamental, good forager

Slate

United States

Calm, hardy, heritage

Black Spanish

Europe (via Americas)

Active, hardy, historic

Beltsville Small White

United States

Calm, compact, early-maturing

What WARN Does

WARN does not run field projects specifically for wild turkeys, which thrive across North America, outside the countries where WARN's partners work. This guide is part of WARN's free educational work to help people understand wildlife. The broader threats turkeys once faced, habitat loss and over-exploitation, are the same pressures that bear down on the animals WARN's partners do protect, which is why clear, honest information about all species matters.

If learning about wildlife like the wild turkey sparks your curiosity, a small gift helps WARN keep producing free educational guides and supporting the animals its partners protect.

Support Habitat Protection Donate to WARN

How does the wild turkey compare?

Turkey vs Chicken →

Wild Turkey: Frequently Asked Questions

Can wild turkeys fly?

Yes. Although they spend most of their time on the ground and are heavy birds, wild turkeys are strong, fast fliers over short distances. They typically fly low and for only a few hundred metres at a time, usually to escape danger or to reach the trees where they roost overnight. This sets them apart from heavy domestic turkeys, which are generally too large to fly.

What is the difference between a wild turkey and a domestic turkey?

Both belong to the same species, Meleagris gallopavo, but the domestic turkey was bred from a Mexican subspecies and selected over centuries for size and meat. Domestic turkeys are usually much heavier, often white-feathered, and generally cannot fly. Wild turkeys are leaner, have dark iridescent plumage, are alert and fast, and remain capable of strong short flights and overnight tree roosting.

Why do turkeys gobble?

Gobbling is mainly done by males, especially in spring. It is a loud advertising call used to attract females and to signal dominance to rival males. A gobble can carry up to about a mile, making it one of the most far-reaching bird calls in North American woodland. Males also drum and make spitting sounds, while both sexes use yelps, clucks and purrs to communicate.

What do wild turkeys eat?

Wild turkeys are omnivores with a varied diet. They particularly favour hard mast such as acorns and other nuts, alongside seeds, grains, berries, buds and roots. They also eat insects and other invertebrates, and occasionally small amphibians or reptiles. Turkeys forage by walking and scratching at the leaf litter and soil, usually feeding in flocks for much of the year.

Are wild turkeys endangered?

No. The IUCN classifies the wild turkey as Least Concern. The species suffered serious declines from hunting and habitat loss, falling to around 30,000 birds in the 1930s, but recovered dramatically through habitat protection and management to roughly 7 million today. Its population is now considered stable to increasing across much of North America.

Where do wild turkeys live?

Wild Turkeys live in North America (US, Mexico, southern Canada). A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large North American ground bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey.

Are wild turkeys dangerous?

Wild Turkeys are domesticated animals and are not dangerous to people in the wild-predator sense. A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large North American ground bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey. Usual risks are husbandry and handling, not unprovoked attacks.

How long do wild turkeys live?

A precise wild lifespan for wild turkeys is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large North American ground bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a wild turkey?

A Wild Turkey is about About 5-11 kg. A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large North American ground bird and the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey. Conservation status: Least Concern.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

Explore More Species

Every animal in our network faces a crisis. Learn about the others.

View all wildlife guides

Support Habitat Protection