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Turkey Talk

© Carey Draeger

Turkeys have been a part of North American history for eons. Over 10 million years ago, flocks of turkeys roamed the earth. Now, I know that sounds like a set-up for a Gary Larson "Far Side" cartoon, but fossil evidence shows that these birds had settled America long before the Pilgrims. One or two of these birds probably greeted the Mayflower when it landed near modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The sedate, rather stupid domestic turkey is descended from its wily ancestor, the wild turkey, which was originally native to southern Ontario, parts of the United States and Mexico. Native American cultures in Mexico were probably the first to tame the turkey; in the early 16th century, Spanish explorers arrived and took the bird back to Europe.

The turkey is brown with buff-colored feathers on the tips of the wing and tail.The male turkey is called a tom and, as with most birds, is bigger and has brighter and more colorful plumage. The female is called a hen and is generally smaller and drabber in color. The tom turkey has a long wattle (a fleshy, wrinkled, brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat) at the base of its bill and additional wattles on the neck, as well as a prominent tuft of bristles resembling a beard projecting downward from its chest.

By 1524, the turkey had reached England; by 1558 it was a popular banquet food. When English settlers arrived in North America, they brought the turkey back to its "roots" and bred it with the native wild turkeys.

How did the turkey get its name? One source says it is named after its rather distinctive call, which is a "turk-turk-turk" sound. A second, more likely, explanation is that in the 16th century, merchants called Turkes traded along the Mediterranean. They included among their wares the turkey, which became known as turkey fowls. A third explanation is based on explorer Christopher Columbus's confusion about the New World--he thought turkeys were really peacocks and dubbed them "tukas," which is the word for peacock in the Tamil language of India.

How did the turkey become the bird of choice for our Thanksgiving celebrations? Supply and demand--there were more wild turkeys available to the New World settlers than any other type of fowl, so roasted turkey was found on banquet tables.

In the late 18th century the turkey's biggest fan was Benjamin Franklin. He desperately wanted the turkey chosen as the fledgling United States' national symbol. He was bitterly disappointed when Congress chose the bald eagle, stating the turkey was a more respectable bird and a true "original native" of America.