Wild Turkey in our Mountain Backyard

Birding has increased significantly in the past century and birders know the Smoky Mountains as an exceptional place to see birds in diverse landscapes from forests to meadows.  Over 240 species have been found in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  It is estimated that a person who can identify most species by sight or sound and who explore as many habitats as possible can find 100 species in a day during peak migration (late April to early May). 

Where can you find them:  It's true, open fields account for less than 1% of the park and that's where the wild turkey likes to linger.  Well, you can find the wild turkey in the Lightning Bug Lodge backyard.  I took this photo standing from our cabin deck.

History:  The wild turkey has had an interesting history from protected to listed on the endangered list to protected in the park.  The Native Americans viewed the slow moving bird as "not bright" and believed eating them would weaken their spirits, so they didn't hunt them.  The Europeans didn't share this belief and hunted them until only 30,000 were left. 

A little bit of trivia:  Benjamin Franklin, who opposed the eagle as the national symbol, was a fan of the turkey, "The turkey, a bird of courage, would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards.  The turkey is a much more respectable bird for America."  Outside of the park, turkey are now hunted again and are considered as one of the four most popular game, along with wild hog, black bears, and deer.  But please don't hunt down the turkey in our backyard, leave them for the birders and shoot them with your camera.