Turkeys are diurnal animals with similar habits to us, with the same night blindness too. Turkeys prefer to eat in the late afternoon to early evening hours, retiring to a preferred tree for the night to roost at sunset. Sometimes they roost in social groups, but just as often, one turkey or a pair will roost together on any given night. Turkeys take this valuable downtime to preen their feathers and stretch out before tucking into one wing to sleep.
While it can seem obvious that turkeys hide during the night, there’s quite a bit more to it. In fact, there are several factors that impact how and where turkeys roost. For more details on that, as well as some more specifics on turkey roosting habits, join us as we wade into the world of turkeys below.
Where Do Turkeys Roost? Habits Explained
Turkeys roost in tall trees where predators can’t see or get to them at night when they sleep. Their roosting habits are actually quite complex if you care to get into the details of it. Whether you’re hunting turkey and hoping to glean some insight into their schedule or you’re just curious, we’ve listed some common turkey roosting habits below, including why they roost where they do.
Turkey Roosting Habits:
What Factors Impact When and Where Turkeys Roost?
Turkeys choose their roosts for a variety of reasons, from safety, food, their visual abilities, and so on. Identifying why a turkey is attracted to a good roost can help you find them in the future or pinpoint where turkeys might live in the wild.
Factors Which Impact Turkey Roosting:
What Are the Turkey’s Natural Predators?
Turkeys are omnivores that eat a variety of smaller animals, but, in turn, they also contribute to the circle of life by becoming prey for other predators. They’re no slouch in a fight, but ultimately, turkeys just aren’t a match for the predators on our list.
Natural Predators of the Turkey:
What Do Turkeys Eat?
Turkeys are non-picky omnivores that don’t turn their nose up at meat, veggies, plants, or fruits. They’ll dig into the dirt to scavenge for worms, hunt fish, scavenge for nuts, and more in the pursuit of a tasty meal, but what exactly do they eat on a daily basis in the wild?
Turkey Staple Foods in the Wild:
What Do Turkeys Do All Day?
We’ve established that turkeys are diurnal birds most active during the day, so it’s only natural to wonder what exactly they do during the day. Turkeys are creatures of habit that like to stick to the same areas and routines. Take a look below at some of the stuff you can catch turkeys doing in the wild during this routine.
Turkey Natural Behaviors:
Conclusion
Turkeys are often seen as bird brains, but they show surprising intelligence for the complex way they choose trees to roost and utilize group camouflage to bamboozle predators. It’s a good thing they’re so good at it because they have quite a few natural predators to worry about!
Featured Image Credit: Jeffrey B. Banke,Shutterstock
