Comments on: Feed Me

By: Kate StJ

Kate StJ — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:08:18 +0000

Wild turkeys can walk and feed themselves when they hatch so the big reason they need their mothers is for protection and instruction. It sounds like you have two turkeys hatched from different broods. I imagine baby turkeys have an instinct to stay with other turkeys so that the whole family can be under mom’s protection. These two may have lost their mothers – or lost track of them – and luckily found each other. Two are better than one.

By: Veronica Snyder

Veronica Snyder — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:58:48 +0000

I was wondering if you could shine some light on a behavior I saw yesterday. I have a large yard which is surrounded by woods on two sides. For the first time ever, a mother turkey was spotted with her babies in tow in the yard a few weeks ago. I, unfortunately, missed that experience. However, there have been recent sightings of what appears to be older versions of the babies in the vacinity of our feeders, aparently on their own already. It’s hard to tell for sure. Yesterday, one was spotted again – right outside the front door – along with a much smaller one “cheep cheep cheeping” away. We lost track of it, but when I looked out towards the back of the house, I spotted the little one (another one? not sure how the first one would’ve gotten back there without us seeing it, although the cheeping out front had stopped). It looked much like a hen chick, but more a mottled brown and yellow. Then one of the larger ones appeared next to it, out from under a hosta. The larger ones are hardly large themselves, but bigger than a blue jay. The little one happily followed the larger one, so I started to doubt if it was actually baby turkeys. I started to wonder if it was another type of fowl. Nothing I looked up seemed to quite match, and the more pictures of juvenile turkeys I saw, the more I thought the original turkey idea matched. I saw the larger one again today, and got a good look through binoculars. It has to be a turkey. My question is, though, why would a much younger chick – newly hatched in appearance – be following an older juvenile? I watched the pair walk through the yard until I could see them no longer and I never did see the adult female. The older one does seem to be independent of mom at this point. Either that, or mom has been quite elusive. Have you ever heard of anything like this? I know in some species, like crows, young adults will help out the parents with the next broods, but this doesn’t look to be a bird old enough to be considered a young adult, and the mother seems to be absent. I haven’t come across much information on wild turkey breeding behaviors so far. If you have any insight, it would be much appreciated! Thank you!

By: Amy F

Amy F — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:04:18 +0000

On my way in to work this morning I saw a fledgling sparrow nagging one of its parents for food; the poor adult bird couldn't quite get its offspring to grasp that the piece of bread was right there on the sidewalk if it wanted some.

By: Libby Strizzi

Libby Strizzi — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:03:07 +0000

You know what’s amusing — lots of times the babies are bigger than the parents! My young grackles are brownish in color, and bigger than the black parent. They follow the poor parent around mercilessly. I’d want to say, “get it yourself, you lazy thing.” It’s somewhat like the behavior of teenagers/young adults.

By: John

John — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:43:16 +0000

I have been seeing lots of baby grackles and robins.