![]() Pecking orders begin to form when birds are only a few days old. Groups of males and females each have pecking orders where there is a dominant bird within the group and other birds are subordinate. “This structure is something we do not fully understand, but it clearly influences how they behave and interact throughout the year.” ![]() “Pecking orders introduce structure into the flocks we observe,” says Chamberlain. Of particular interest to him are the social hierarchies that influence how individual turkeys behave throughout their lives. “It is believed that turkeys primarily recognize each other through these vocalizations and the appearance of their heads.”Ĭhamberlain studies the behavior of wild turkeys all over the southeastern United States. Chamberlain, a professor of Wildlife Ecology with the University of Georgia. “Turkeys communicate in various ways, from vocalizations to appearance,” says Michael J. Groups of males and females each have pecking orders where there is a dominant bird within the group and other birds are subordinate. They have keen eyesight, are born with innate knowledge of predators and landscape, and are talkative, gregarious animals. ![]() There are five subspecies of turkeys, each differing in plumage and range. Turkeys evolved more than 11 million years ago and are related to other game birds like pheasants, quail, grouse, and partridges. Turkeys are efficient communicators, they have a strong family or “clan” mentality, and they are superb collaborators. Though a group of them can also be called a flock, the term “rafter” is also correct and was adapted because when buildings were being constructed, turkeys often would be found perching in the rafters.Īlthough sometimes we humans may call one another “turkey” as a comical insult, our species can actually learn a lot from Meleagris gallopavo. If you traveled around in Western North Carolina or East Tennessee to visit friends or family and eat turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday, there is a high likelihood you passed a rafter of wild turkeys along the way.
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