Now that you've all eaten your traditional turkey, if you're in America at least, let me tell you about it's cousin. I recently found out about these guys because I was painting a little turkey statue and Google told me about them. Ocellated Turkeys.
They're only found in a small part of Mexico, but I'm still a bit surprised that I didn't know about this bird that looks like a cross between a turkey and a peacock. Seriously. The picture below is from ABC birds, link at the bottom, and should show why I called them that and why I expected more people to know about this fabulous bird. Should I bring him up next year at Pride? Because he's colorful enough to fit their rainbow, almost.
Now try to tell me that doesn't look like a pea-turkey.
The term Ocellated, used to describe this turkey, refers to it having 'eye spots' on it's feathers. The orange and blue, supposedly, but I don't really see it unless the tail is spread, in which case...maybe. The orange part kinda kills it for me, but what do I know?
According to some people, Ancient Mayans revered this colorful turkey and would trade for it's domesticated cousins to raise and eat, but these guys were seen as a badge of honor or something, to have them live around you or to be compared to them. I'm not sure about this entirely, but it sounds like one Mayan got the title of 'Great Turkey' inscribed on his tombstone, and it might be something like the way we sometimes call people the 'Big Dog'. I can think of worse critters to be compared to...
For the most part, they're just like the 'Wild' Turkey we all know and love to eat, but they're also rather different. They mostly share a diet, neither one migrates, and they have the same build, but they are very different for coloration, Ocellated Turkeys have a smaller range, and the well known 'Gobble' of Wild Turkeys is replaced by a drumming sound from their southern cousins. Just like any family tree, we've all got the weirdo who likes sparkly things and acts snooty, and we just have to deal with them.
The Wild Turkeys might have it easier because they don't have to deal with said snooty cousin at the Holidays.
Which, I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving, and I look forward to figuring out what I want to do about Christmas, if I'm going to make it a theme for things at all.
Seeya again soon, I hope. If not, blame the internet company that I'm giving serious considerations to trying a voodoo hex or wicca curse on. If I do, I'll let you know my research that led me to those choices and how it goes.
Sources:
ADW-- Ocellated TurkeyRainforest Alliance-- Ocellated Turkey
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