Turkeys

I have always thought there was just one turkey, the North American wild turkey, which, if Ben Franklin had had his way, would today be the national bird of the United States. Proud Meleagris gallopavo, a cousin of pheasants, partridges, grouse, chickens, quail, and peafowl (the species name of the North American wild turkey means rooster-peacock, go figure). 

This afternoon on our walk-the-dog walk, we encountered our local gang of turkeys, eight of them: one tom with his handsome breast beard, several females, and a few adolescents.They were browsing a neighbor's planting strip:

Four of the eight

Long ago, I was surprised to see a gang of turkeys in Turkey, and more recently (like, tonight), there they were in an episode of The Durrells in Corfu. Apparently they were brought to Europe in the 15th century by the Spanish conquistadores. They've gotten around. 

But the last couple of days I've learned that there's a second species of turkey, Meleagris ocellata, native to the Yucatán Peninsula. It's smaller than the wild turkey, but it makes up for its size in technicolor. It's a stunner! (The species name refers to the eye-shaped spots, or "ocelli," on its tail.) 

And of course, there is also the domesticated turkey, Meleagris gallopavo domesticus. A few thighs of which we had for Thanksgiving dinner tonight, braised in butter with lemon and herbs, and topped with red onion–cranberry relish. A far cry from their doughty wild counterparts. And yet....

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Today's Covid-19 stats for Monterey County: 14,369 confirmed cases, 791 hospitalizations, and 116 deaths; up, respectively, 501, 16, and 2 since I last posted five days ago, on the 21st. Among the last ten deaths was someone I didn't know personally, but whom my husband knew, a beloved member of the Monterey contradance community, Craig Lee Hemphill. 

Stay safe.