How rare are wild white turkeys?
Rarer, though, are albinos, a condition marked by white skin and feathers along with light pink or red eyes. Seeing an albino turkey would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: It’s estimated that only 1 in 100,000 Wild Turkeys is albino.
What is a wild white turkey called?
A nearly white wild turkey was accompanied by a normally colored turkey. The naturally occurring white turkeys are commonly called smoke-phase birds.
What type of wild turkey is found in Michigan?
The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a ground-dwelling game species native to North America. It is one of the most widely distributed game bird species in Michigan.
Why are some turkeys white?
The great majority of domestic turkeys are bred to have white feathers because their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised.
What do white turkeys mean?
They are known as smoke-phase or white-phase turkeys, exhibiting the color traits of a recessive gene. The majority of white Wild Turkeys are also female. This turkey appears to have a beard but no spurs and perhaps a few feathers on the head.
What causes a wild turkey to be white?
A wild turkey can absolutely have white feathers, and these unusual color phases are usually a result of conditions known as albinism or leucism. These conditions are genetic mutations caused by a recessive gene that leads to a notable loss of pigment.
Why are there so many wild turkeys in Michigan?
The birds were once almost extinct in North America, because of over-hunting just shortly after European settlers arrived. After conservation efforts, today’s wild turkey population in Michigan is about 200,000.
How big do wild turkeys get in Michigan?
An adult male can be 4 feet long from beak to tail and can weigh between 15-24 pounds. Turkeys prefer to live in open fields or woods, and they’re most active during the daytime. At night, they roost in trees. The birds are omnivores, but primarily eat berries, grasses and nuts as well as insects and amphibians.
Do wild turkeys turn white in winter?
“If two eastern wild turkeys that have normal coloration also both have that recessive gene, some of their offspring may have the smokey form — like albinism,” he said. Although the bird that Ken saw looked nicely camouflaged against that recent snowfall, McBride said the bird’s feathers did not change color in winter.