Fun and Interesting Turkey Facts for Thanksgiving
Turkeys are a long held tradition and symbol for Thanksgiving, and as soon as anyone thinks of Thanksgiving the turkey is the usually the first thing that comes to mind., but many people don't know much about the turkey at all. The turkey is an interesting bird that has a long history; this article will discuss 16 fun and interesting facts about the turkey.1. Turkeys have been alive for a very long time; in fact they have been alive in North America for almost ten million years (Pearson, 2003).2. Turkeys have a wide range of vision; they can see up to 270 degrees (Gianetti, 2003). This is why turkeys are one of the hardest animals to hunt; it is extremely tricky to sneak up on a turkey.3. Everyone knows owls perch in trees, and turkeys are birds. It seems funny to me to picture a turkey sleeping in a tree, but wild turkeys sleep in trees at night.4. Have you ever noticed how someone's face will change color when they are upset? Well, turkeys are similar to humans in this way. When a turkey gets mad, excited, or defensive its head and neck changes color, and the more excited a turkey becomes the whiter the head and neck will also become.5. Turkeys may have got their names in several ways, and historians are not exactly sure how the name turkey came about, but there are several interesting theories that hold weight. Christopher Columbus might have thought they were part of the peacock family, and he decided to call them "tuka" which is the word for peacock in the language of India (Pearson, 2003). The turkey also makes a turk, turk, turk sound when it is scared, and the American Indian name for the bird was firkee (Gianetta, 2003). Another possible way the turkey got its name is because the Turkish were great merchants of turkeys, and the bird was referred to as the turkey bird (Pearson, 2003).6. In the early 1900s the wild turkey almost became extinct because of its value as a food source (Pearson, 2003). The growth of people and industry also caused the turkeys to lose much of its habitat, and farming caused many trees to be cut down during this time. The use of turkeys as food and the use of the turkeys land caused a huge decline in turkeys during this time.7. Adult turkeys can have 3,500 feathers, and turkey feathers have been used in some interesting ways (Gianetta, 2003). Their feathers are a great addition to compost heaps, and the popular Sesame Street character Big Bird's entire costume was composed of turkey feathers.8. Wild turkeys don't seem quick, but they are pretty fast. A wild turkey can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour, and they can run as fast as 29 miles per hour (Gianetta, 2003). It is amazing to think that a turkey can fly and even run as fast as a car.9. When I see wild turkeys they are usually just wandering around by the side of the road, but they do fly. In fact a wild turkey can glide without flapping his wings for almost a mile (Gianetta, 2003).10. The wishbone is usually the only bone in a turkey's body that people are interested in, and an average turkey may seem small when he is on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table, but a turkey actually has 157 bones (Pearson, 2003).11. During Thanksgiving more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. (Pearson, 2007).12. Although turkeys have no external ears they can hear very well (Pearson, 2007). Turkeys also have a terrible sense of smell and a great sense of taste.13. Domesticated turkeys cannot fly, but wild turkeys can fly very well and fast for short periods of time. Turkeys prefer to glide most of the time, but they are capable of great speeds.14. Turkeys can have heart attacks just like humans, and this was proven when turkeys died from the shock of jet planes flying overhead (A., 2009).15. The common dance called the Turkey Trot was named after the quick, small steps that a turkey takes when walking. It makes one wonder who thought of this dance.16. If a turkey looks up when it is raining it can drown (A., 2009). The beak and mouth of a turkey is placed in such a way that a very small amount of water can drown it.Turkeys are very interesting creatures, and these fun facts will keep you intrigued and amused this Thanksgiving holiday. Try using these facts for trivia games and conversation starters at your holiday celebration.References:A., A. (2009). Aristotle's thanksgiving turkey facts. Retrieved from http://home.aristotle.net/Thanksgiving/turkey_facts.aspGianetta, J. (2003, October). Turkey facts. Retrieved from http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/thanks/tkyinfo.htmlPearson, Initials. (2007). Turkey trivia. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkeyfacts.html
Turkeys are a long held tradition and symbol for Thanksgiving, and as soon as anyone thinks of Thanksgiving the turkey is the usually the first thing that comes to mind., but many people don't know much about the turkey at all. The turkey is an interesting bird that has a long history; this article will discuss 16 fun and interesting facts about the turkey.
1. Turkeys have been alive for a very long time; in fact they have been alive in North America for almost ten million years (Pearson, 2003).
2. Turkeys have a wide range of vision; they can see up to 270 degrees (Gianetti, 2003). This is why turkeys are one of the hardest animals to hunt; it is extremely tricky to sneak up on a turkey.
3. Everyone knows owls perch in trees, and turkeys are birds. It seems funny to me to picture a turkey sleeping in a tree, but wild turkeys sleep in trees at night.
4. Have you ever noticed how someone's face will change color when they are upset? Well, turkeys are similar to humans in this way. When a turkey gets mad, excited, or defensive its head and neck changes color, and the more excited a turkey becomes the whiter the head and neck will also become.
5. Turkeys may have got their names in several ways, and historians are not exactly sure how the name turkey came about, but there are several interesting theories that hold weight. Christopher Columbus might have thought they were part of the peacock family, and he decided to call them "tuka" which is the word for peacock in the language of India (Pearson, 2003). The turkey also makes a turk, turk, turk sound when it is scared, and the American Indian name for the bird was firkee (Gianetta, 2003). Another possible way the turkey got its name is because the Turkish were great merchants of turkeys, and the bird was referred to as the turkey bird (Pearson, 2003).
6. In the early 1900s the wild turkey almost became extinct because of its value as a food source (Pearson, 2003). The growth of people and industry also caused the turkeys to lose much of its habitat, and farming caused many trees to be cut down during this time. The use of turkeys as food and the use of the turkeys land caused a huge decline in turkeys during this time.
7. Adult turkeys can have 3,500 feathers, and turkey feathers have been used in some interesting ways (Gianetta, 2003). Their feathers are a great addition to compost heaps, and the popular Sesame Street character Big Bird's entire costume was composed of turkey feathers.
8. Wild turkeys don't seem quick, but they are pretty fast. A wild turkey can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour, and they can run as fast as 29 miles per hour (Gianetta, 2003). It is amazing to think that a turkey can fly and even run as fast as a car.
9. When I see wild turkeys they are usually just wandering around by the side of the road, but they do fly. In fact a wild turkey can glide without flapping his wings for almost a mile (Gianetta, 2003).
10. The wishbone is usually the only bone in a turkey's body that people are interested in, and an average turkey may seem small when he is on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table, but a turkey actually has 157 bones (Pearson, 2003).
11. During Thanksgiving more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. (Pearson, 2007).
12. Although turkeys have no external ears they can hear very well (Pearson, 2007). Turkeys also have a terrible sense of smell and a great sense of taste.
13. Domesticated turkeys cannot fly, but wild turkeys can fly very well and fast for short periods of time. Turkeys prefer to glide most of the time, but they are capable of great speeds.
14. Turkeys can have heart attacks just like humans, and this was proven when turkeys died from the shock of jet planes flying overhead (A., 2009).
15. The common dance called the Turkey Trot was named after the quick, small steps that a turkey takes when walking. It makes one wonder who thought of this dance.
16. If a turkey looks up when it is raining it can drown (A., 2009). The beak and mouth of a turkey is placed in such a way that a very small amount of water can drown it.
Turkeys are very interesting creatures, and these fun facts will keep you intrigued and amused this Thanksgiving holiday. Try using these facts for trivia games and conversation starters at your holiday celebration.
References:
A., A. (2009). Aristotle's thanksgiving turkey facts. Retrieved from http://home.aristotle.net/Thanksgiving/turkey_facts.asp
Gianetta, J. (2003, October). Turkey facts. Retrieved from http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/thanks/tkyinfo.html
Pearson, Initials. (2007). Turkey trivia. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkeyfacts.html
