WILD TURKEY
Meleagris gallopavo silvestris
The Wild Turkey was formerly found as far north as Maine and Ontario but it is unknown now north of central Pennsylvania. South of Maryland it is not uncommon locally.
Range. Kansas and central Pennsylvania to the Gulf coast, and northern Florida. Non-migratory.
Washington, rare P.R.
Our domestic Turkey is descended from the Mexican Wild Turkey and like that race has the upper tail-coverts and tail tipped with whitish, whereas in our eastern Wild Turkey these tips are chestnut. The nest is on the ground and 10-14 eggs, pale cream-color finely speckled with brownish, are laid in April.
The Florida Wild Turkey (M. g. osceola), of southern Florida, is smaller and the white bars on the primaries are narrower and more broken.