BIRDS Turkey

Turkeys have many calls:
gobbles
clucks
putts
purrs
yelps
cutts
whines
cackles
kee kees

In early spring, the male, which is called a gobbler or tom, gobble to announce their presence to the females. One can hear the gobble for up to a mile.

While fishing on the Red River of the North, one could see groups of turkeys at the edge of the wooded areas. They appear to live in groups.

Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey as the national bird of the United States comes from a letter he wrote to his daughter, Sarah Bache in 1784 criticizing the choice of the bald eagle as the national bird and suggesting that a turkey would have made a better alternative.

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree near the river, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fish hawk and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this injustice, he is never in good case but like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward.................For the truth the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

What is your take on that?

e