Due to the fact that the turkeys are quite large and heavy birds, the adult wild turkey weighs about 17 kilograms. And contrary to popular belief that these hefty birds live exclusively on the ground, in fact they sleep sitting on the tops of trees, where they are safe from such predators as foxes, coyotes and raccoons.
Turkeys, the largest birds in the order of the Galliformes, belong to the family of pheasant. Domesticated turkeys are not considered neither beautiful nor noble, but their wild representatives completely refute this opinion.
In nature there are only two types of turkeys – common and ocellated. They are similar in lifestyle, but differ in color. Close relatives of these birds are pheasants and peacocks, but from their relatives turkeys are distinguished by a number of peculiar traits.
The proportions of the body of these birds most resemble peacocks: they have the same small head, comparatively long neck, streamlined, but powerful body, medium-sized strong beak. However, the legs of the turkeys are longer than those of the other members of the detachment, which gives them excellent runners.
