Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo
I came upon this turkey when I was going from a meadow into a forest. It really freaked me out because it was sitting so still, sleeping on the ground. At first I thought it was dead, and then I wondered if it was a statue, lol. I got within a meter or so of it before it woke up. Even then, it didn't scamper off, but just sat and stared at me. Weird. I thought turkeys slept in trees?!
Habitat: Meadow/forest edge
The wild turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey. Although native to North America, the turkey probably got its name from the domesticated variety being imported to Britain in ships coming from the Levant via Spain.
