Benjamin Franklin, one of this country's founding fathers, proposed that the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) be used as the fledgling nation's symbol. In many ways the choice might have been a good one.
Turkeys are a truly American bird. The Wild Turkey only occurs in North America and its only close relative, the Ocellated Turkey, lives in Central America. Fossil evidence has shown that turkeys have been roaming the Americas for over 10 million years.
Wild Turkeys are wary birds. As any turkey hunter (or birdwatcher) will tell you, they can be very hard to find and are usually quick to get away when they hear a human on foot nearby.
Wild Turkeys are intelligent birds. Though they are generally wary of humans, traveling through many areas, it is common to see small flocks of turkeys wandering along highways during the hunting season - they have figured out that hunters won't shoot them from the road (it's illegal in most places), and the highways are actually the safest place for them during the hunting season. During the non-hunting season, they'll head back into the forests.
Turkeys can be fiercely territorial during the breeding season. I once interrupted two turkeys by driving into their territory in a large pickup truck. They ran down the hill above the road and began attacking my truck. They attacked front and rear bumpers and the tires, denting the bumpers and hubcaps. My work partner and I were trapped inside the vehicle, and not wanting to hurt the birds, we had to wait for quite awhile hoping the birds wouldn't puncture our tires, before they both were out of the way of the truck so we could move forward. Then the turkeys chased us down the road for about a half a kilometer!
This strong territoriality is typical of some types of birds, of which the Wild Turkey is a good example. Usually, a bird (or other animal) defends a territory when something it needs is in short supply. Some birds defend a territory because there isn't enough food if others move in too closely. Some will defend an area they need for a nest site. In the case of the Wild Turkey, it's both of these things.
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