by Orange head ‘nodules,’ a copper wing panel, and iridescent blue-and-gold eyespots all come together to form a sizable, recognisable,The only other turkey species in the world, the ubiquitous Thanksgiving bird, is the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), a colourful tropical cousin. The look-at-me dance of a strutting man is like viewing a Wild Turkey through a kaleidoscope: The head is baby blue with red and orange nodules scattered throughout. Metallic body feathers shimmer in hues ranging from electric blue to green,
and on wings that are additionally banded with bronzy orange and white, these hues become more brilliant.Its beautiful tail is reminiscent of the famed peacock plumes. (In Spanish, this bird is occasionally referred to as pavo real, which can mean either a peacock or a “royal turkey.”) Behind the snood, the males have a fleshy blue crown covered in nodules resembling those on the neck. During the breeding season, this crown enlarges and develops a brighter, more distinct yellow-orange hue.
Cropped version of William Nicholas’ “An Ocellated Turkey, Tikal” is available under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.Male and female ocellated turkeys have iridescent bronze-green body feathers, with the males being more vividly coloured.Ocellated Turkeys are far smaller than any of the North American Wild Turkey subspecies, with adult hens weighing only 8 pounds before giving birth to eggs.It is permitted by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 to use “Ocellated turkey” by ebatty.In contrast to its northern sibling, the Ocellated Turkey has a smaller range.
The Yucatán Peninsula range, which encompasses the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Yucatan as well as portions of southern Tabasco and northeastern Chiapas, contains a total area of 50,000 square miles where the species only exists.CC BY-SA 2.0 is the licence type for “Ocellated Turkey – Tikal – Guatemala_(1)” by fveronesi1.
Despite its eye-catching appearance, this bird prefers to hide, mostly undetected, among the dense vegetation.It is permitted by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 to use “Ocellated turkey” by ebatty.Ocellated turkeys typically stay in small groups and forage in dense vegetation in locations that are covered in forest and shrub. but will go into nearby farm fields and clearings. Typically, seeds, berries, insects, and leaves make up their food.Nicolas Rénac’s “Ocellated turkey” is published under CC BY-NC 2.0.
In a ground nest that is carefully hidden, female Ocellated Turkeys lay between 8 and 15 eggs. For 28 days, she incubates the eggs. Being precocial, the infants can leave the nest after just one night. When they are young adults, they start to wander but frequently re-group to roost. Until that point, they follow their mother. The voice is similar to that of the northern species as well; during the breeding season,
the male bird makes a “Gobbling” sound, while the female bird makes a “clucking” sound.CC BY-SA 2.0 is the licence agreement that governs “Ocellated Turkey (Agriocharis ocellata)” by berniedup.The habitat of the ocellated turkey is gravely threatened by massive logging activities and conventional slash-and-burn agriculture in Central America. The future of this magnificent bird is seriously threatened by the speed of this degradation.
