Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Sportman's Life Staff | Comments 0
The Rio Grande wild turkey lives primarily in the central prairie states and gets its name from the area it inhabits, which is the river that borders part of Mexico from Texas. The area around that river is exceptionally tough, dry, arid country.
It looks much like the other subspecies of wild turkey living in the US and is actually close to the same body size as the Florida turkey, but has exceptionally long legs for a bird its size. The Rio Grande turkeys are more pale than Eastern turkeys and have more copper to their feather iridescence. The main distinguishing trait of theirs is the light colored tips to their tail feathers, which is easily seen when the turkey is fanning it’s tail and strutting for a mate. The light colored tips can be white or yellow, even very light brown, but the tips are always lighter than the tips of tail feathers found on other turkey species.
Females, call hens, are close to the same size as the males, called gobblers or toms, and pretty close to the same color as well only less shine and iridescence is found in their feathers. Hens will grow to be about 10 pounds while a male will grow to be 20 pounds.
The Rio Grande turkey lives in low lying brush thickets near rivers or streams, and also in scrub oak and pine forests. It has been found in areas that were over a mile above sea level and it usually prefers areas that are wide open as opposed to other species of turkey that prefer wooded areas.
Rios will roost in the tallest tree they can get to that is near a stream or that which may be in a deep valley for a winter season. Gobblers will tend to use the same roost location year round. If roost trees are not available, the Rios will stay on man-made structure like telephone or power poles.
Loading ...
Popularity: 2%
Filed Under: Rio Grande
