| Grande wild turkey once came very close to | | | | When it comes to their preferred environment, Rio |
| extinction, but thanks to several Federal programs | | | | Grande turkeys are most at home in shrubby areas, |
| that preserved the turkey, it is now thriving and is | | | | usually near streambeds or other small bodies of |
| allowed to be hunted again. The Rio Grande turkey | | | | water. They also like pine forests and scrub wood |
| has certain preferences that make it an ideal bird for | | | | forests, but they tend to come out into the open |
| hunting if you live in one its habitats. | | | | much more readily than other kinds of wild turkey |
| As the name might suggest, the Rio Grande wild | | | | that like to stay in the thick of the woods — |
| turkey does call west Texas near the Rio Grande | | | | hence making them an easier target for hunters. Rio |
| home, but its territory is much larger than that. | | | | Grande turkeys also like to travel in large packs, |
| George B. Sennett first identified the bird in 1879. | | | | sometimes of 100 birds or more, which again makes |
| Sennett described the turkey as being an | | | | them relatively easier to hunt than other kinds of |
| intermediary between the Eastern wild turkey | | | | turkeys. These wild turkeys are extremely nomadic |
| and wild turkey species more commonly found in | | | | and have been known to move in packs for 10 miles |
| western parts of the US. This intermediary tag stuck, | | | | or more, which is an unusually long distance for a |
| helping to earn the turkey its scientific name, | | | | turkey to travel. In terms of climate, the Rio Grande |
| Meleagris Gallapavo Intermedia. | | | | turkey is fairly resilient to temperatures and tends to |
| In Bennett’s days, the Rio Grande wild turkey | | | | like places that get between 16 inches and 32 inches |
| roamed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even down | | | | of rainfall annually. |
| into parts of northern Mexico. When Bennett first | | | | In terms of appearance, the Rio Grande turkey is |
| came across the turkey, it is estimated that its | | | | slightly smaller than its fellow turkey groups, like the |
| popular ran into the millions, but within a few | | | | Eastern turkey or the Merriam turkey. A fully-grown |
| decades, the bird on the verge of extinction. In the | | | | Rio Grande turkey usually stands around four feet |
| early 1930s, several Federal programs were put into | | | | tall. The tail feathers tend to be copper in color mixed |
| place to help protect the Rio Grande turkey. The | | | | with pale feathers. On the body, the turkeys are |
| main procedure followed involved capturing the | | | | covered with light tan feathers with darker tips, |
| turkeys and moving them to protected areas where | | | | ranging from medium brown to very dark brown. |
| they could reproduce and thrive. Although the | | | | The Rio Grande turkey is often lighter in color than |
| turkeys are not thought to have reached their | | | | Eastern turkey but darker than turkeys from the |
| previous numbers, they are believed to have | | | | western part of the US. The undercarriage of the |
| rebounded considerably and are no longer protected. | | | | turkey is usually pink. |
| Texas is home to the largest population of Rio | | | | One thing that sets the Rio Grande wild turkey apart |
| Grande turkeys. Thanks to the relocation programs | | | | from other turkey species is the fact that it often |
| followed during the protection period for the birds, | | | | uses the same roosting tree time and again. Part of |
| you can find Rio Grande turkeys further a field than | | | | the reason for this is that the places in which Rio |
| their natural habit, including in Nevada, Oregon, | | | | Grande turkeys thrive usually have very few trees. |
| Washington, Wyoming, California and Utah. | | | | |