Each year around this time, I check the image queue for the traditional Thanksgiving Day post. Admittedly, I was a bit shocked when the queue was devoid of Wild Turkeys – a jestful reference in tribute to all the Turkeys that show up on many of our kitchen tables today. Of course, those are mere hybrids of the wild version having been “engineered” to maximize the meat at the cost of making them completely useless from a bird perspective. Their wild versions are not the most adept in the flight category, but at least they can get off the ground and make it to a nearby tree if so desired – domestic Turkeys are chained to the couch with remotes in hand . Alas, the tradition has been broken. I will have to put the Wild Turkey on the top of the 2020 hunt list (right below the elusive Snow Bunting), so this doesn’t happen again. While I am at it, might even help Ron get a decent shot in the tin as his luck with these game birds ranges somewhere between “it’s in there somewhere” and “damn, them Turks have Cheetah speed to cause a blur like that”.
All hope is not lost, I did find a substitute.
Definitely not one that poses any threat of ending up on our dinner tables, but it at least has “Turkey” in the name. The Turkey Vulture is not new to Intrigued, having debuted all the way back in 2014 (link here) and popped up several time since then (link here). Unlike true Turkeys, these rather ugly looking creatures can fly … well at least soar with the best of them. No hopping from tree to tree, these strong winged Vultures will ride the thermals to dizzying heights, making it look effortless as they slowly circle the grounds below looking for victims of predators, age, illness and the most wasteful of all… humans in their deadly deuces and curly-wurlies.
Hit the jump to read a bit more about this substitute bird.
