Late in November of 2016, I happened across about 40 handsome wild turkeys of both genders together in a corn stubble field in southern Berks County, Pennsylvania. There they scratched up and ate corn kernels missed by harvesters. The big, dark-feathered turkeys and beige corn stubble were a pretty picture in a setting of a bordering, green winter rye field and a nearby, gray woodland. I watched those turkeys peacefully walking among the stubble and feeding on corn until they wandered out of sight. And I thought about the wild turkeys I saw some years ago and more recently, showing that they are established and reproducing in the more wooded parts of southeastern Pennsylvania. But I must confess that I always see them by good fortune alone when I'm out for various reasons.
Originally permanent resident forest birds, wild turkeys have adapted to a mix of woods and grain fields in southeastern Pennsylvania, as elsewhere. They eat acorns and other nuts in the woodlands and corn and other grains in the fields. And their young, called poults, and adults, consume a variety of invertebrates, particularly grasshoppers, whenever they can in both habitats.
Toward the end of September of 2016, I saw five magnificent Tom Turkeys walking together on the shoulder of a road in the wooded Welsh Mountains a mile south of New Holland, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They probably were eating acorns and invertebrates. I've also seen individual hen turkeys at times in the Welsh Mountains in recent years, always by dumb luck.
I have also seen a few hen turkeys at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Pennsylvania. Other observers have seen groups of wild turkeys in the fields and woods of Middle Creek as well because of the mix of excellent habitats managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for wildlife and wildlife hunting.
I accidentally came across a group of 18 beautiful wild turkeys of both genders in a harvested corn field planted to winter rye on a cold, windy January afternoon in 2010. Apparently, the turkeys were already filled with corn kernels because they soon made their way casually to a nearby woodland to spend the night in trees. I was fairly close to that bunch as I stayed in my car so as to not scare them away and noticed how truly big and majestic they are.
One October afternoon about ten years ago, I saw a gathering of about 20 wild turkeys in an overgrown meadow surrounded by wood lots full of warmly-colored foliage. Those handsome birds walked along slowly and scratched up seeds and invertebrates from the grass and recently-fallen, colored leaves. As always at that time of year, the turkeys probably were adults of both genders and their grown young of the year.
One time in April about 12 years ago, I saw 20 wild turkeys in a harvested corn field near a wood lot in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania as I was driving along on business. The turkeys, of course, were peacefully feeding on corn kernels from the ground.
And one late afternoon in April several years ago, I saw seven wild turkeys, that looked as big as eagles, soar into a woodland just below treetop level, one right after another, and land in trees in woods in southern Lancaster County. Apparently, they were going to spend the night in those trees.
Soon the magnificent and stately Tom turkeys will be strutting, fanning their wings and tails and gobbling to attract females to themselves for mating. Each hen will lay 12 to 14 eggs, one a day, in nests on the ground in woods where they incubate those eggs for about 28 days. The youngsters hatch in May and are escorted by their mothers who brood them, teach them what to eat, and warn them of danger. Never-the-less, turkey eggs ae eaten by striped skunks, opossums, raccoons and other critters. Poults are preyed on by foxes, coyotes, hawks, black rat snakes and other predators. The big, adult turkeys don't have many predators, except people, black bears and coyotes.
Wild turkeys were re-introduced to southeastern Pennsylvania several years ago by the game commission and they have adapted well to less than forest conditions in this area. Groups of wild turkeys are exciting to see anytime of year. One has only to be in turkey habitats and wait and watch until these beautiful birds are spotted.
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