Turkeys of America: A Battle of America’s 5 Subspecies

Eastern VS Osceola VS Rio Grande VS Merriam’s VS Gould’s

As you can see, the eastern wild turkey is the clear winner for all the criteria. The Osceola wild turkey is the least successful subspecies in terms of population, range and harvest. The Gould’s wild turkey is the rarest and least known subspecies in the United States. Continue reading below to find out more on Each subspecies of Turkey!

Eastern Wild Turkey

The eastern wild turkey is the most abundant and widely distributed subspecies in the United States. It can be found in 38 states and several Canadian provinces, mostly east of the Mississippi River. It is also the traditional “Thanksgiving turkey” that was enjoyed by early European colonists and Americans since.

The eastern wild turkey is characterized by its chestnut or chocolate brown-tipped tail feathers and its bold white and black bars on the wings. It is also the largest subspecies, with males weighing up to 30 pounds and females up to 14 pounds. The eastern wild turkey has a very strong gobble and very long beards, which are among the longest of all subspecies. It is also considered to be second to the Osceola in difficulty of calling in.

Osceola Wild Turkey

The Osceola wild turkey, also known as the Florida wild turkey, is only found in Florida. It has a population of about 100,000 birds. It is named after Osceola, a famous leader of the Seminole tribe that resisted removal from Florida in the 19th century.

The Osceola wild turkey has dark brown tips on its tail feathers and mostly black wings with very small white bands. It has long legs and strong gobbles. It weighs about 20 pounds for males and 8 to 12 pounds for females. The Osceola wild turkey has very long spurs but shorter beard lengths than the eastern. It is considered to be the toughest subspecies to call in.

Rio Grande Wild Turkey

The Rio Grande wild turkey is concentrated in western desert regions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and other western states. It also has a healthy population in Mexico. It is named after the Rio Grande River that forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico.

The Rio Grande wild turkey has tan-colored tips on its tail feathers and equal amounts of black and white barring on its wings. It weighs about 20 pounds for males and 8 to 12 pounds for females. The Rio Grande wild turkey has moderate gobbles, beard lengths and spur lengths. It prefers open areas with scattered trees and shrubs for roosting and feeding.

Merriam’s Wild Turkey

The Merriam’s wild turkey is most abundant in the mountainous regions of the West. The Rocky Mountains are considered to be the central hub of its population. It is named after Clinton Hart Merriam, an American zoologist who first described it in 1900.

The Merriam’s wild turkey has snow-white tips on its tail feathers and more white and less black on its wings. It weighs between 18 to 30 pounds for males and 8 to 12 pounds for females. The Merriam’s wild turkey has the weakest gobbles, shortest beards and shortest spurs of all subspecies. It adapts well to various habitats, from pine forests to grasslands.

Gould’s Wild Turkey

The Gould’s wild turkey is the rarest and least known subspecies in the United States. It can only be found in Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. It has a population of about 10,000 birds in the United States. It is named after John Gould, an English ornithologist who first described it in 1856.

The Gould’s wild turkey has light-colored tips on its tail feathers and moderate coloration on its wings. It has long legs similar to the Osceola. It weighs between 18 to 30 pounds for males and 8 to 12 pounds for females. The Gould’s wild turkey has moderate gobbles, beard lengths and spur lengths. It inhabits oak woodlands and pine-oak forests at high elevations.

Average Weight for Each Subspecies

Note: Average Weight may not be 100% accurate, to compare the average weight of the five subspecies of turkeys, I used the data from web searches and calculated the mean weight for males and females of each subspecies. The results are shown in the table below.

As you can see, the eastern wild turkey is the heaviest subspecies for both males and females, followed by the Merriam’s and the Gould’s. The Osceola and the Rio Grande are the lightest subspecies. The difference in weight between males and females is also the largest for the eastern wild turkey, with males being more than twice as heavy as females. The other subspecies have a smaller difference in weight between males and females.