Turkey

Turkeys are birds originally domesticated by native Americans whose original territory covered much of the U.S.http://books.google.de/books?id=J0L3PdUtydEC&pg=PT48&dq=turkey+bird+name&lr=&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=turkey%20bird%20name&f=false Wild turkeys, or Meleagris gallopavo, usually forage forest floors, grasslands and swamps for nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and salamanders.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey.html Only the males have features typically associated with turkeys - ruffled feathers, fanlike tail, bare head and bright beard. They also have a distinctive gobble that can be heard a mile (or a kilometer and a half) away.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey.html Female turkeys take sole care of the offspring, once chicks have hatched from the four to 17 eggs laid.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey.html

Domestic turkeys have white-tipped tails due to their relation to the Mexican sub-species that was taken to Europe in the early 16th century for domestication. Their captive diet, lifestyle and breeding also differentiate them from most modern wild turkeys.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey.html When early explorers of the New World returned to Europe with them, turkeys were raised domestically in England, Italy, and France.http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html Although poor flyers, turkeys could run very fast. However, North American settlers found them easy to shoot and by 1900, only small populations survived. Protective measures were put in place by the U.S. Government, and wild turkeys can now be found as far north as Canada.http://books.google.de/books?id=J0L3PdUtydEC&pg=PT48&dq=turkey+bird+name&lr=&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=turkey%20bird%20name&f=false

Although the origin of the first Thanksgiving turkey dinner has been disputed, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day forward one week and it continues to be celebrated on that day (the fourth Thursday of November).http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/thanksgiving-day Since the first Thanksgiving feast apparently featured turkey, many American households have since cooked turkey as the main dish during the celebration.http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/turkey.html

In 2009, over 247 million turkeys were raised, and more than 226 million were eaten in the U.S. The National Turkey Federation (NTF) estimated 46 million of those turkeys were consumed at Thanksgiving, 22 million at Christmas, and 19 million at Easter.http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html Almost 88% of Americans surveyed by the NTF ate turkey at Thanksgiving. With the average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey being 16 pounds, about 736 million pounds of turkey were eaten by Americans on Thanksgiving in 2009.http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html Americans also typically prefer white turkey meat, according to the NTF. The white meat usually makes up 70% of the bird, and has fewer calories and less fat than the dark meat.http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html