The turkey was Benjamin Francklin's choice for the United States's
national bird. The noble fowl was a favored food of Native Americans.
When Europeans arrived, they made it one of only two domestic birds
native to the Americas—the Muscovy duck shares the distinction.Yet by the early 20th century, wild turkeys no longer roamed over much of their traditional range.They had been wiped out by hunting and the disappearance of their favored woodland habitat.Wild turkey reintroduction programs began in the 1940s, and the birds
were relocated to areas where populations had been decimated but
woodlands were recovering. Such efforts worked so well that wild turkeys
now live in areas where they may not have occurred when Europeans first
reached the Americas. Today, flocks are also found in Hawaii, Europe,
and New Zealand.
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