Ten Fascinating Facts About Turkeys
(National Examiner) They don't call it Turkey Day for nothing. When Thanksgiving arrives next week, a full 90 percent of American households are expected to gobble down turkey during the holiday feast. As an appetizer, chew on these juicy tidbits of trivia bout the big birds:
- The turkey got its name by mistake. The British thought it was another bird that came from Africa through Turkey. Despite the error, the name stuck.
- The heftiest turkey ever raised weighed a scale smashing 86 pounds.
- Only make turkeys make the familiar "gobble" sound. Females actually make a clicking noise.
- If you're sensitive to sound, don't live near turkeys. The male's gobble can be heard up to a mile away.
- Male wild turkeys show off their plumage like peacocks when they want to find a mate. They puff up and spread their tail feathers to attract their gal counterparts.
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey instead of the bald eagle to be the official national bird of the U.S.
- A whopping 45 million turkeys are cooked just for Thanksgiving alone.
- North Carolina produces the most turkeys an astounding 61 million every year.
- The skin that hangs over a turkey's beak is called a "snood," and the skin hanging from its throat is known as a "caruncle."
- Want to befriend a turkey? Make it happy by stroking its feathers. Most domestic turkeys love being petted.