White turkeys have a unique history

Even though the holidays are over you may still be looking at that one turkey, the turkey that stands out above all others in the rafter (proper term for a group of turkeys). Not because it is big, feisty or fanning, but because it is…white.

Some may think this is because the turkey may have some genetic mutation leading to albinism, but that is not the case. These turkeys are from a whole different lineage.

According to wildlife biologists, they are actually domestic turkeys whose demise started as early as 25 A.D. when Native Americans in Mexico and Central America began to tame wild turkeys.

In 1519 Spanish explorers took these domesticated turkeys back to Europe and they were a hit. European farmers expediently took to breeding the new fare and shared the new-found delicacy. The domesticated turkeys arrived in North America during the early 1600s when colonists from England relocated to Massachusetts and Virginia. With surprise, colonizers realized the Natives had dibs on the turkey’s existence.

There are many differences between the wild and domestic turkeys. One obvious difference is their coloring. Some domestic turkeys can be bread to look similar, domestic turkey’s lack the dark camouflage wild turkeys have, resulting in lighter skin coloration, which is more appealing to consumers. The white coloring, paired with a decrease in survival instincts, makes the domesticated turkey more vulnerable to predation.

In addition, domestic turkeys have shorter legs and stockier bodies. This makes their “get-away” pace much slower than the wild breeds. In fact, a wild turkey can run faster than a galloping horse. Similarly, the ability for these two turkeys to fly is very different. Wild turkeys can fly more than a mile at a time, reaching speeds up to 55 miles per hour. Because domestic turkeys are bred for meat, they have large breasts, leaving them flightless. This is why they have white breast meat unlike dark breast meat in the wild breeds.

The “gobble, gobble, gobble” is more pronounced in domestic turkeys. Reason being, they have not evolved in the wild where silence prevents being eaten.

As anyone who has hunted wild turkeys knows, they have amazing eye sight. In fact, they have some of the best eye sight of any bird. Through domestic breeding, the domestic turkey has lost the keen sight. This is most likely evolution and the lack of having to depend on keen sight for survival.

And perhaps the biggest difference of all is taste and texture. Anyone who has eaten a wild turkey knows it is far different than the store bought variety. Flavor is more intense in wild turkeys because in domestics are bred to grow so rapidly and lack the exercise regimen as their counterparts.

When you see that white turkey, enjoy is presence. In Montana, chances of it soon becoming prey to a predator are quite likely.