“As God as my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly!”
Thanksgiving isn’t complete without that video.
“sort of the helicopter to other birds’ 747.”
I’d say, more like the Harrier Jump Jet.
Living in an area where wild turkeys are sometimes seen not just in back yards but on city streets can be rather entertaining. It shouldn’t be any more surprising than the geese, but…
Just popping in to make sure someone posted the WKRP clip and to say how awesome Bailey Quarters was. That is all.
Came here for this comment, left satisfied.
Turkeys are powerful fliers but I have also followed their tracks walking for more than a quarter mile in the snow. I once thought I was about to be run over by a herd of deer, but it was a flock of turkeys running towards me. While hunting on a clear still subfreezing morning a turkey came off the ridge and glided across the open field at high speed. At 30 yards away we could hear it Zoooooommm like a dive bomber.
My sister had a flock of “wild” Turkeys… Every once in a while they would decide to go visit the neighbors who happened to be really afraid of the birds (~1 mile through the woods). Since her husband was often away, I had the wonderful task of trying to herd those turkeys back home. I recall one time when a good portion of that trek consisted of me attempting to crawl/slide on top of 3 feet of snow since the trees/brush were too thick for snowshoes. They never flew very much just a few yards at a time or up a few yards to roost.
My brother-in-law had a huge tom that was his pet for many years – people were often afraid to get out of their car when they came to visit because he liked to follow people really close.
My Mom’s property is host to a flock of wild turkeys, and I have witnessed their jumps first hand. We used to have a flat-top bird feeder on a pole (had to get rid of it when black bears started using it as a snack bar), and the turkeys would sometimes show up to pick at the seed that smaller birds knocked out and/or pick at the barberries that grow near the house.
During one particularly snowy winter, when I guess scratching in the woods was hard, I saw a turkey hen actually do a ground-level standing jump over 6’ straight up and land on the flat top of the bird feeder. She then craned her neck around and flailed at the seed, getting some for herself and sending most of the feeder contents onto the snow for the rest of the flock. It was an impressive sight. When our phone rang, they ALL took off in a great flurry of feathers and scattered seed. Those things can go FAST.
I have seen turkeys fly. Upon my honor…it is true!
Carmel Valley, Ca. In a 100 year old fishing cabin overlooking the Autumn trickle of the Carmel River.
3 turkey hens rocketing airborne past the property over the river and through the trees…to the forested hill upon the other side. Not too fast, not so high…but gaining altitude.
It impressed me. (The big tom turkey I had witnessed previously was NOT one of the flight team: like the peacock; some male birds lose in aerodynamics what they gain in fabulous avian masculinity…)
What about chickens? 
This makes me curious about how wild turkeys would taste compared to factory-farmed turkeys. I would imagine there’s a pretty big difference. Has anyone compared the two?
And who knew?
Yeah, they can fly, but their judgement may be suspect. My Papillons (google the breed to understand the importance of this identification), merely by being present, can lead an entire flock of turkeys to take flight in a wild panic. Thus demonstrating that Size Isn’t Everything, I guess.
Chicken can fly. Well, sorta. I found this out once when I noticed 'em roosting (and crowing) in trees outside my second floor bedroom window. What makes this even more peculiar is that I was living in downtown Austin at the time where Stubb’s link is now located.
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