Ten Fun Turkey Trivia Facts
They don’t call it Turkey Day for nothing. When Thanksgiving arrives this week, 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.