• Wild turkeys, now numbering nearly 7 million, were almost extinct in the early 1900s.
• Wild turkeys can run up to 25 miles per hour. Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest human, averaged 23.35 mph during his world-record 100 meters.
• Wild turkeys were argued by Benjamin Franklin to be a more appropriate choice than bald eagles as our national bird.
• Wild turkeys rarely weigh more than 24 pounds while domestic turkeys regularly grow to more than 40 pounds.
• Wild turkeys, which have as many as 6,000 feathers, can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour. Most domestic turkeys are too heavy to fly.
• Wild turkeys have much sharper vision than humans and can view 360 degrees simply by turning their heads.
• Wild turkeys can make at least 28 different vocalizations, with gobbles heard up to one mile away.
• Wild turkeys roost, or sleep, in trees, often as high as 50 feet off the ground.