"Even as thousands of New Yorkers gobble up turkey on their Thanksgiving dinner plates, wild turkeys are thriving in the city's urban wildlife landscape. Native to North America, turkeys live throughout the city, scouting out habitats that have tall trees and delicious treats, such as, well, bugs. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are flockin' around NYC. Much of that avian action takes place on Staten Island, mostly to the delight, but sometimes to the dismay, of local residents who talked turkey with amNewYork."
"Islander Alice Kellman shared a story about a mama turkey who laid 13 eggs in her front yard. We had a ball watching her, Kellman said. She would leave during the day, I guess, for food and come back and sit on them at night. And then, the eggs hatched and poults (baby turkeys) emerged, she said. Within a day or two, they were all walking around. Adorable, Kellman said. We kept our distance, but she seemed to be okay with us near her."
Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are thriving across New York City, with strong populations concentrated on Staten Island. Turkeys favor urban areas that provide tall trees and abundant food sources such as insects. Many residents enjoy the birds, noting a rustic, country-like feel in neighborhoods like Dongan Hills, while others find large gatherings overwhelming near places like Staten Island University Hospital. A reported hen laid 13 eggs in a front yard, which hatched into poults that were walking within days. Once nearly eradicated by unregulated hunting, wild turkeys have staged a dramatic conservation comeback and are now relatively abundant in parts of the city.
Read at www.amny.com
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