“Gobble, Gobble!” Thanksgiving is coming up next Thursday. The turkey, of course, will be center stage as Americans dive into this annual gustatory feast.
Not native to North Dakota
There are two species of turkeys native to North America. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to forested areas over much of the United States. It is not, however, native to North Dakota.
The other native turkey, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), is native to forests of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is the wild turkey that is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey, the symbol of Thanksgiving.
Turkeys in American Culture
It is questionable if turkey was a part of the first Thanksgiving meal back in 1600s. Either way, the bird has a prominent and interesting part in American history and culture. If Benjamin Franklin would have had his way, the wild turkey would have been designated as our national bird instead of the bald eagle.
And there is more of course. As any bowler knows, getting three strikes in a row is a called a turkey. The term reportedly originated back in the day when, as a promotional gimmick, a bowling alley proprietor offered a live turkey to any bowler that got three strikes in a row.
A movie that flops at the box office is a turkey. People who quit a vice abruptly without aid is said to have quit cold turkey. Some people dance the turkey trot.
And I suspect some kids these days still make “hand turkeys” in elementary school: You just outline your hand on a piece of paper and color-in the fingers into tail feathers and the thumb into the turkey’s head. They used to, and probably still do, adorn refrigerators around Thanksgiving.
Game Bird in North Dakota
Although the wild turkey is not native to North Dakota, they were introduced in the state back in the 1930s, and by the 1950s had become established as a game bird.
They can now be found across much of the state, from the Red River Valley to the woody draws of the badlands. Areas of note include river bottomlands such as that along the Missouri River, the Killdeer Mountains, Pembina Hills, Turtle Mountain, and J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge.
So, as you enjoy family and all that good food this Thanksgiving, give a little thought about how this bird has become incorporated into our culture.
