Turkey Facts
A turkey is a large, heavy bird of the genus Meleagris from the Americas, and males have a fleshy flap called a snood hanging over the beak.
- Class
- Bird
- Scientific name
- Meleagris
About the turkey
Two species survive. The wild turkey ranges over eastern, central and southern North America, and the ocellated turkey lives on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Males of both species carry a snood, which hangs from the base of the upper bill. Both are among the largest birds where they live and among the heaviest in the order Galliformes. As with pheasants and their relatives, males are bigger than females and wear fancier feathers.
The first turkeys appeared in North America more than 20 million years ago, and they share a recent ancestor with grouse and pheasants. Indigenous peoples domesticated the North American wild turkey about 2,000 years ago. That domestic bird later crossed the ocean to Eurasia during the Columbian exchange, carried by people.
Did you know?
- The domestic turkey descends from the North American wild turkey.
- The ocellated turkey is found on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
- Turkeys are among the heaviest members of the order Galliformes.
Questions about the turkey
Where do turkeys come from?
Turkeys are native to the Americas. The wild turkey lives in North America and the ocellated turkey in Mexico.
When were turkeys domesticated?
Indigenous peoples domesticated the wild turkey about 2,000 years ago.
Sources
- Wikidata Q43794, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Turkey (bird), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.