Bloggeron

Ben Franklin, perhaps with tongue planted firmly in cheek, once argued against the bald eagle as our national symbol. When he wrote to his daughter to discuss the notion he said, “For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly, he is generally poor, and often very lousy…For in truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. Eagles have been found in all countries, but the turkey was peculiar to ours…He is, besides, (though a little vain and silly, it is true), a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.”

The wild turkey is truly an American original. As the weather cools in the fall, they can be seen strutting across open fields and roosting in forest trees. Yes, the wild turkey can fly, unlike its domesticated cousin. More often it chooses to conserve its energy and run away when startled by mere humans. Should you spot one while out and about, be quiet and move slowly. Turkeys have remarkable hearing and eyesight. It’s these senses that make them a challenging bird to hunt. This led directly to their designation as the official state game bird of Massachusetts.

The wild turkey’s connection to Massachusetts’ history may have led to it beating out the black-capped chickadee as the official state bird. You remember the story from elementary school: when Massasoit and Pilgrims shared their harvests together at the first Thanksgiving? The turkey featured prominently in the story. In reality, the turkey shared the table with other wild game such as deer.

By the mid 1800’s, an expanding human population and its associated clearing of the forests brought an end to wild turkey in the state where Thanksgiving first began. Although a few attempts were made to reintroduce the bird as early as 1911, it was not until 1972 that successful reintroductions began.

State wildlife officials worked with New York State wildlife managers to live-trap 37 turkeys in the southwestern corner of that state. The birds were then released in Beartown State Forest in Monterey, Massachusetts. By 1978 there had been enough breeding to allow wildlife managers to start moving animals to other parts of the state. Today, Massachusetts’ turkey population is over 20,000 animals.

Throughout the country, turkey reintroductions have been very successful. The same is so for the bald eagle. Two birds that were once linked by Ben Franklin are now both symbols of successful restoration efforts.

Both the eagle and the turkey, in their own way, have revived America’s heritage. One, representing strength and grandeur, we commemorate on our coinage as a national emblem. The other, representing a bountiful harvest and our humble beginnings as a nation, is commemorated by…well…eating it. So I hope Mr. Franklin would be happy. At least we’re recognizing his bird.