Thinking about it, I don't quite understand why we don't have any around here. They are being kept on farms here for a long time - starnge that there was never any deserteurs founding a wild population somewhere. If they can live in Indiana, they should have no problem to live here as well.
I wouldn't think they'd have any problems. Maybe they wandered onto your high-speed highway and the only thing left of them is a beak and a scattering of feathers!
Well, I don't know... we do have deer and boars and foxes, racoons (who are not native here), badgers and hares, and some bigger birds, too. Even beavers and wolfs are returning slowly.Sure some get killed by cars, but they don't all disappear because of that. But I never heard of wild turkeys anywhere in Germany.
No, I was kidding. Hardly a day goes by in my county without a car-deer accident, but there are still all sorts of deer to go around. The funny thing is, deer were almost wiped out in Indiana, until hunting them was limited. Now they're all over, and turkeys are headed that same direction. By the way, there are several bald eagles living here in Noble County; they also were unheard of in Noble County until the last decade or so.
Yes, the bald eagles are recovering nicely all over the US, I think. Since DDT was banned, and people are determined to protect them, they have dramatically increased in numbers.
The SW Florida Eagles are also having 2 chicks again this year - thats No 18 and 19 from this parent eagle couple, in 10 or so years! They are just about to fledge soon, I think. You can see them here:
Beautiful birds! Although they always look pissed off. :-)
They take their job as the national bird seriously - you wouldn't want to look like a clown in that, do you. :)
Not at all. Thank goodness Benjamin Franklin didn't get his way, because a turkey wouldn't look nearly as serious as the national bird.
Did he want the turkey as the national bird? Well, apart of its look, it would also be quite a bummer for thanksgiving and christmas dinners... :)