Domestic Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo domesticus
🦃
Chordata
Aves
Galliformes
Galloanserae
Phasianidae
Meleagris
Meleagris gallopavo domesticus
Meleagris comes from Greek for “guinea fowl,” and gallopavo combines Latin gallus (“cock”) + pavo (“peacock”) — literally “chicken-peacock,” referring to its flamboyant plumage and display.
The domestic turkey — descendant of the North American wild turkey — embodies the intersection of indigenous domestication, colonial exchange, and industrial poultry breeding.
Description
The domestic turkey is a large galliform bird, selectively bred from wild Meleagris gallopavo populations of Mesoamerica, primarily central and southern Mexico.
Males (toms) can exceed 10–15 kilograms, while females (hens) average 6–8 kilograms. Turkeys are heavy-bodied, broad-breasted birds with a characteristic snood (fleshy nasal appendage) and wattled neck. Their plumage ranges from bronze and iridescent black in heritage breeds to white in modern commercial lines (for ease of feather removal).
They are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, roots, insects, and small vertebrates. Domestic strains have lost most flight ability but retain strong social hierarchies and mating displays reminiscent of their wild ancestors.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
15
kg
m
m
m
Omnivore
Omnivore Broad plant/animal consumer
Hunt History
Turkeys were first domesticated by Preclassic Mesoamerican cultures (~2000–1000 BCE), notably by the Zapotecs and Maya, as evidenced by remains from Oaxaca and Guatemala.
Their feathers were used in ritual regalia, and bones served as musical instruments and tools.
By the 1500s CE, turkeys had been transported to Europe via Spanish trade routes, rapidly integrated into global cuisine and breeding.
In North America, turkeys also appear in Ancestral Puebloan and Hohokam archaeological contexts, sometimes managed semi-domestically for feathers and food.
Modern breeds include heritage types like Bronze, Narragansett, and Bourbon Red, alongside industrial Broad Breasted White strains.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Domesticated 4,000 years ago
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Holocene - Now
Mesoamerica; now global
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
20
Est. Renderable Fat
3
kg
Targeted Organs
Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal Fat
Adipose Depots
Subcutaneous Fat, Omental Fat, Mesenteric Fat
Preferred Cuts
Subcutaneous Fat
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
1