Ocellated Turkey

     The Ocellated Turkey is a Turkey species that cannot be domesticated. This species resides primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Ocellated Turkeys are relatives of the Wild Turkey, but they lack the beard and are considerably smaller. They are also more colorful with a higher pitched mating call than their cousin, the Wild Turkey of North America.

     The Ocellated Turkey’s plumage is a striking mix of iridescent bronze and green colors, but females often appear duller than males. The hens have a greener rather than bronze tinge and both sexes have bluish-grey tail feathers. Ocellated Turkeys have distinctive, blue-bronze colored ocellus (eye-shaped spots) near the end of their tails, from which the species derives its common name, followed by bright gold tips. The head is blue with some orange or red nodules, which are more pronounced in males. Male Ocellated Turkeys also have fleshy blue crowns covered with nodules, similar to those on the neck, behind the snood which becomes brighter and more pronounced in a yellow-orange color in the breeding season. The eye is surrounded by a ring of bright red skin, which is most visible on males during the breeding season as well.

    Ocellated hens lay 8 – 15 eggs in a well concealed nest on the ground and incubates them for 28 days. The chicks are raised and nursed by their mother until they reach adulthood. Unfortunately, the Ocellated Turkey is near threatened but there are numbers of protected areas that help in managing sport hunting for this  magnificent bird.