Talking Turkey with Bob Ellis, Bloomington Associate Manager

You probably already know Tom a.k.a. the Wild Turkey. Tom and his friends are doing well as of late. Wild Turkey numbers have been increasing steadily and almost booming in recent decades since their reintroduction to their native habitat. Hunting and loss of habitat had reduced the population to an estimated 30,000 birds in the mid 1990s, not a lot for a species whose historical range covers most of eastern North America. Minnesota was among many states where gobblers were gone completely. The preservation of woodlands in refuges and parklands as well as the efforts of conservation groups have turned things around for the Wild Turkey; recent estimates place the population at over seven million birds, quite a comeback!

With all those gobblers lurking out there it is no wonder that they are showing up in our parks and yards more and more often. City life offers protection from hunting and predation, and our suburban woodlands provide wonderful turkey habitat. Here in the Twin Cities we have a lot of great turkey woods, especially along the Minnesota River. I can’t tell you the last time I was at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and did not at least hear a turkey. Turkey sightings run the gamut from along our freeways, to backyards all the way into Minneapolis and St. Paul proper where they’ve been spotted on building rooftops, and in any number of previously unimaginable environs, cemeteries for instance.

As the numbers have risen turkeys have made their presence known: They are wandering into our yards to take advantage of bird feeders and birdbaths.

Many people are taken aback the first time one of these impressive birds makes an appearance in their yard. After looking at Chickadees, finches and the comparatively large Cardinals and Blue Jays at your feeder a Wild Turkey seems positively gigantic. (they do grow up to 8-12 lbs. for a female and as much as 25 lbs. for a large Tom!) More spectacular is their tendency to arrive as a whole flock, turkeys do know how to make an impression.

In fact, during the summer, hens will gather together and form “preschools” with their young, oftentimes numbering more than 30 in a class.

Turkeys will eat almost anything they can get into their mouths. They forage on nuts and acorns, buds, seeds, fruits, grasses and insects. When it comes to birdseed corn is high on their list and they will also eat sunflowers, millet, peanuts and a whole slew of other grains. A large, sturdy ground feeder filled with Trail Mix or Critter Crunch would be a great Turkey Buffet, pardon the pun.

A word of caution is in order, especially for our customers who love to feed their critters: Turkey flocks can eat a lot of birdseed, especially if they make your yard a regular stop. Set your spending limit now before they eat you out of house and home! One recommendation, offer seed only a couple days a week - the turkeys will make your yard part of their loop but will continue onward on the days no food is available. Or, if they really become a nuisance, try suspending the use of ground feeders for a couple weeks - they may take your stop off their dinner route.