Though genetically the same species , wild turkeys are slimmer , taller , and have longer legs than their domesticated counterparts . Unlike their top-heavy relatives , who have been bred for the dinner table , wild turkeys can fly . When taking to the air , they stay close to the ground and travel only short distances , but their flight speed can reach up to 50 miles per hour .
The turkeys we see on Kiawah are Eastern Wild Turkeys — one of five subspecies found in the United States . These large fowl can grow up to four feet tall , with males ( known as toms ) weighing between 18 and 30 pounds and females ( known as hens ) between eight and 12 pounds . They reach these weights by devouring a wide range of food , including insects , green vegetation , nuts , and berries . On Kiawah and other coastal areas , fiddler crabs and frogs also comprise part of their diet .
Social birds , wild turkeys spend the fall and winter in flocks . As spring approaches , toms begin “ strutting ” with their tails upright and fanned out behind them . This display signals the start of the breeding season that commences with fights for dominance among the toms . During this period , the flock gradually disperses . In late March , hens usually lay 10 to 12 eggs over a two-week period . After they lay the last egg , the hens stay on the nest almost continuously , leaving only for short periods to feed . Incubation takes 26 to 28 days .
The first half of May brings the peak time for hatching . All of the poults normally hatch within several hours of each other and feed themselves after only a few days . The recently hatched poults follow closely behind their mother as they search for food . At night , they sleep underneath her so she can protect them from chill , rain , and their many predators such as foxes , bobcats , crows , and owls . When they reach about 10 days of age , the poults can fly well enough to roost in
trees at night . By the time they are 18 days old they are strong flyers .
Though originally prevalent in South Carolina and throughout the United States , wild turkeys almost became extinct by the beginning of the twentieth century due to habitat loss and hunting . Live trapping and transplanting efforts by the State of South Carolina and the National Wild Turkey Federation ( headquartered in Edgefield , South Carolina ) have resulted in their once again being commonly found throughout the state and the nation — one of the great wildlife repopulation stories in history .
Speaking of history , after the bald eagle was chosen as the national symbol , Benjamin Franklin complained that the wild turkey would have been a better choice . The eagle is a thief , a coward and a “ bird of bad moral character ,” he wrote in a letter to his daughter , while “ the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird .” But perhaps this time Franklin was wrong . Unlike the male bald eagle that remains monogamous for life and shares parenting chores , toms , unusually among birds , typically mate with two or more hens each season . They also shirk any role in raising their young . So which is the more respectable bird ? Anthropomorphizing aside , almost everyone would agree that the eagle simply presents a more impressive image than the ungainly turkey .
Even if they do not grace our national seal , wild turkeys do take center stage as the South Carolina game bird . Due to their remarkable increase in numbers , the State permits turkey hunting for several weeks each spring . Here on Kiawah , where humans hunt only with binoculars and cameras , no seasonal restrictions apply . So any time of the year , get up early in the morning to walk through our beautiful Island and search for these fascinating fowl . NK
WINTER / SPRING 2017 • VOLUME 37
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