This Turkey Tuesday is about wild turkeys in Florida, which most refer to as the Osceola subspecies. The late Lovett Williams, who studied wild turkeys in Florida for much of his career, referred to the bird as the Florida wild turkey. Regardless, many of us turkey hunters begin the spring season chasing the Florida wild turkey – if you do you’ve experienced the unique landscapes the bird calls home. Florida wild turkeys, like all wild turkeys, have stunning plumage – but in this case, their plumage is darker overall. The typical white barring in the wing primaries is much less defined, with more black on the primaries than white. The Florida wild turkey also has smaller body sizes than other subspecies, and their legs appear longer as you can see in the 3rd image. Interestingly, despite their differences in appearance to other subspecies, there’s been debate for decades about whether the Florida wild turkey is a valid subspecies. Genetics research ~20 years ago reported that the Florida wild turkey was similar genetically to the Eastern subspecies, whereas the other 3 subspecies (Merriam’s, Rio Grande, and Gould’s) all were genetically distinct from Easterns. Ongoing research using advanced molecular markers and genetic analysis will provide more clarity on this debate. Regardless, wild turkeys in Florida face steep challenges such as habitat loss, urban sprawl, and competing land uses. The take home is, these challenges are not unique to Florida, but they’re certainly magnified for wild turkeys living on a peninsula with such incredible increases in urban development and land conversion.
Pics by Rc Gilliland
