Oscillated Peacock of Turkey

    The Oscillated Turkey is a species of Turkey related to the north american wild .

Turkey

 

it can be found primarily in the Yucatan peninsula where it occupies a small 50000 square mile range covering

Parts of Mexico Belize

 

and Guatemala although they are not yet a mainstream domesticated breed of livestock they are hunted by the local peoples and form a significant part of their diet . They are also raised in captivity as far north as the southern united states .

They were named for the blue and bronze 

oscillate on their tails the eye shaped markings that are similar to the ones peacocks display both genders have a fleshy blue crown or knob behind the snood on the head which is adorned with distinctive car uncle-like growths called nodules that vary in shades of yellow orange red and coral similar to those on the neck with the nodules being more pronounced on males they also have a distinct eye ring of bright red colored skin especially visible on adult males during the breeding season the tail feathers of both genders are bluish gray in color with a well-defined blue bronze eye shaped spot near the end followed by a bright gold tip their wing bars are a rich copper color and highly iridescent the legs are a deep red and are shorter and thinner than north american turkeys males over one year old have spurs oscillated turkeys do not have a chest tuft often called a beard or a wattle male oscillated turkeys have a unique thumping gobble .

On average mature males weigh 

about 11 to 12 pounds and mature females weigh up to 8 pounds oscillated turkey hens lay between 8 to 15 eggs in a shallow scrape in the ground in April the eggs are nearly the same size and coloration as american wild turkeys incubation takes 28 days the pulse are covered in a reddish-brown juvenile plumage which allows them to blend into their surroundings to hide from predators they are precociol and able to leave the nest .

 They follow their mother 

until they reach young adulthood when they begin to range on their own oscillated turkeys are threatened due to over hunting and destruction of their natural habitat                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❤ Thank you ❤