Where do ocellated turkeys live in Mexico?
The ocellated turkey is endemic to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala and Belize, and can be found across an area extending 50,000 miles. Ocellated turkeys are most often found in tropical deciduous and lowland evergreen forests as well as clearings and abandoned farm plots.
What is an ocellated turkey?
The ocellated turkey ( Meleagris ocellata) is a species of turkey residing primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, as well as in parts of Belize and Guatemala.
Are ocellated turkeys vocal?
Ocellated turkeys are not as vocal as North American turkeys, which may be due to the high number of predator species found in the forests of Central America. It may be in their best interest to be quiet birds that remain undetected.
How big do ocellated turkeys get?
An ocellated turkey, (Meleagris ocellata) walking in a Yucatán resort. Ocellated turkeys are much smaller than any of the subspecies of North American wild turkey, with adult hens weighing about 4 kg (8.8 lb) before laying eggs and 3 kg (6–7 pounds) the rest of the year, and adult males weighing about 5–6 kg (11–13 lb) during breeding season.
Where can I hunt ocellated turkey?
Yucatan peninsulaThe range of ocellated wild turkey covers the southern part of the North American continent, most notably the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This is where most of the outfitters that offer the hunting for this unique variety of wild turkey are located.
Are there ocellated turkeys in Florida?
Turkey hunting's “slams” are documented by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The six required subspecies for a world slam are the Eastern, Osceola (Florida), Merriam's and Rio Grande turkeys in the United States; the Gould's in the United States or Mexico; and the ocellated in Mexico.
Where did the ocellated turkey come from?
Meet the ocellated turkey. Found only on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) certainly bears a resemblance to the American wild turkey.
Are ocellated turkeys endangered?
Near Threatened (Population decreasing)Ocellated turkey / Conservation status
Are ocellated turkeys in the US?
Unlike its northern relative, the Ocellated Turkey does not have a broad range. It's only found on the Yucatán Peninsula, which embraces a few Mexican states, the northern half of Belize, and Guatemala's northern Petén region.
Why are Osceola turkeys only in Florida?
Historically, Osceola turkeys, along with their Eastern counterparts, were isolated in remote areas made up of timberland. These areas were ideal as a turkey habitat because they were almost inaccessible, which kept both legal and illegal turkey hunting down.
How big do ocellated turkeys get?
2.3 – 4 ft.Ocellated turkey / Length (Adult)
Do ocellated turkeys gobble?
About the bird Male Ocellated turkeys don't gobble, they sing. They wear no beards, weigh far less than U.S. birds, and still, these jungle turkeys are as wary as any U.S. tom. Male and female coloration is similar; only male Ocellated turkeys have spurs.
What is the meaning of ocellated turkey?
Definition of ocellated turkey : a wild turkey (Agriocharis ocellata) of Yucatan, Honduras, and Guatemala that is slightly smaller than the common turkey and has the tail feathers margined with rich coppery color and ocellated with greenish blue.
What is turkey in Tijuana called?
In Spanish turkey is a very simple word to translate: pavo. But wait, there is more! Pavo is not the only word in Spanish for turkey. In Cuba you say guanajo, in Mexico guajolote and cócono, in Colombia pisco and finally in Guatemala chompipe.
What turkeys are in the Grand Slam?
The Grand Slam will take you around the country, chasing each of the four most common wild turkey subspecies in the U.S.: Eastern, Merriam's, Osceola and Rio Grande. Add a Gould's to your Grand Slam and you've got a Royal Slam.
Are turkeys native to Mexico?
Three subspecies of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) are native to Mexico, and turkey remains were abundant at the site, known as Mitla Fortress.
What is an ocellated turkey?
The Ocellated Turkey is the gaudier tropical cousin of the world's only other turkey species, our familiar Thanksgiving bird. Watching a strutting male display is like seeing a Wild Turkey through a colorized filter: The baby-blue head is dotted with red and orange wart-like bumps. Metallic body feathers shimmer in colors from electric blue to green, growing more vivid on wings also banded with bronzy-orange and white. Its striking tail recalls the peacock's famous plumes. (In Spanish, this bird is sometimes called pavo real, a term both for peacock and “royal turkey.”)
When do ocellated turkeys breed?
Ocellated Turkeys breed starting in March. A displaying male strides through a group of females, his tail spread wide and his head tilted back, resting on his fluffed back feathers. Wings shaking and occasionally rapped on the ground, he suddenly bursts into a rapid series of gobbles shallower than his larger relative — sounding like a barnyard goose trying to imitate a turkey. A dominant male may mate with many females, thwarting attempts by other males to mate with them.
Why is the ocellated turkey endangered?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ranks the Ocellated Turkey as Near Threatened because many populations are in decline due to uncontrolled subsistence hunting and continued habitat loss. Healthy populations are protected in Guatemala's Tikal, in private and national reserves in Belize, and in some large Mexican reserves.
What color are turkey eyes?
Ocellated turkeys have a distinct eye-ring of bright red colored skin, especially visible on adult males during the breeding season.
What is the name of the bird with a blue head and red neck?
These spots give the ocellated turkey its name, as the Latin word for eye is oculus. Males and females have a blue-colored head and neck with distinctive orange to red, warty growths that are more pronounced on males.
How big are ocellated turkeys?
Ocellated turkeys are similar in appearance to North American wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo ), but are lighter in weight and more brilliantly colored. Males weigh about 4.5 kg and are roughly 0.9 m in length. Females weigh about 2.7 kg.
What do ocellated turkeys eat?
Ocellated turkeys are dietary generalists. Their omnivorous diet consists of various seeds, berries, and leaves, in addition to insects. They have been observed eating grass seed heads of Paspalum conjugatum, as well as the leaves of plants such as Ambrosia artimisiifolia, Vitis spp., Paspalum spp., and Zebrina spp. Insects consumed include moths, beetles, and leaf cutter ants ( Atta cephalotes ). These birds forage on the ground and tend to remain in small groups when feeding. ( "Species profile - Ocellated Turkey", 2008; Sugihara and Heston, 1981)
What animals eat ocellated turkeys?
Ocellated turkey adults and young are preyed on by gray foxes, margay cats, ocelots, raccoons, coatis, cougars, jaguarundi, jaguars, snakes, and birds of prey. Humans also hunt adult tur keys for food.
What color are turkeys?
The body feathers of ocellated turkeys are an iridescent bronze-green color, with those of the male being brighter than the female. The tail feathers are bluish-gray with blue-bronze eye spots on the ends, which give this bird its name, as oculus is Latin for eye. The tail feathers also have a bright gold tip.
When do turkeys lay their eggs?
Hens lay 8 to 16 eggs (average 12) any time between mid-March and mid-May. Most poults hatch by mid-June, but hatching can range from early May to July.
Why are the numbers of turkeys decreasing?
Numbers are decreasing due to intense hunting for food and sport. Also, large-scale clear-cutting and slash and burn methods to make way for agriculture are destroying suitable habitat and making birds easier targets for hunting. ( Benstead and Capper, 2007; "Species profile - Ocellated Turkey", 2008) IUCN Red List.
