Talking Turkey - NatureOutside

About this time last year I went for a hike in the grassland hills above a local reservoir. One of the interesting things I saw was some new (to me) turkey behavior.

Wild turkey is not native to California. Although a native species, M. californica, once roamed the state. But the last recorded evidence of its presence is a 10,000 year old skeleton preserved in the famous La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles (reference). The species of wild turkey we see today in California was introduced for hunting between 1959 and 1988.

In past years it was very rare to see these elusive animals. But the population has recently exploded. According to the California Department of Fish and Game, California’s wild turkeys now occupy about 18 percent of the state. Some estimates place the turkey population at a shocking quarter-million birds.

But back to my hike…

I was walking a steep uphill trail that climbed a grassy hilside. Above my location, the trail made a 90-degree right turn to follow a contour for about 40 feet, and then made a 90-degree left to continue upwards. As I climbed the first stretch of trail, I looked to my right and up. I saw this turkey:

Female turkey in the grass. What she did next surprised me.

It had already seen me and froze. I paused for a moment, to take the picture, and then resumed my climb. I knew that when I made the right turn on the trail, it would take me directly above the bird, about 25 feet above it. I made a big show of pretending I had not seen it.

The turkey did something I had not seen before. It very, very slowly settled onto its belly. As it did this it extended its neck parallel to the ground and lowered its head until the entire bird disappeared into the grass. I like to track/stalk animals to observe them more closely. So, I was very impressed at how slowly and smoothly it accomplished the maneuver. I decided to play a game of hide and seek. I would stop at my closest approach knowing exactly where the bird was and try to see it in the grass. As I made the right turn, I saw out of the corner of my eye a snakelike neck extend up out of the grass like a periscope, take me in, and then lower just as smoothly. It was like a cartoon!

To make a long story… less long, I couldn’t see a thing from 25 feet even knowing exactly where the bird was. It was a very impressive disappearing act. I was going to post a picture, but I figured a picture of empty grass isn’t very interesting.

There isn’t much point to this post, other to express my amazement at how skillfully the turkey concealed itself. Had I not known it was there, I would have walked by completely unaware. I have since seen other turkey exhibit this behavior, usually when I caught them unawares and they had no easy escape. Once I found a turkey prostrate in the grass less than a meter from my ankle as it hid with its chick from a nearby Cooper’s Hawk.

Later in the hike I did successfully stalk pretty close to a turkey. I suspect he had other things on his mind or he would have spotted my clumsy approach.

Tom turkey

And another picture from that day…