Loss of natural habitat is a serious threat to wildlife. How game birds have managed to recover after the wildfires that have roared through and incinerated our neck of the woods is a mystery, but they are again thriving in my part of Paradise. The quail are beginning to nest in protected spaces, and their distinctive call can be heard in the early morning hours. Another seemingly resilient bird is California's wild turkey. While renting in Chico after the Camp Fire, I saw several turkeys around the south side of Chico. Imagine my surprise when I ran head on into one while on a walk on North Avenue, just a few blocks east of McManus School. It is apparent that wild turkeys are quite comfortable moving into urban areas.
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was nearly extinct by the 1930's due to overhunting and deforestation that destroyed their natural habitat. Today their population has increased dramatically: wild turkeys can be found throughout North America from Canada to Mexico, numbering an estimated seven million birds. California's wild turkeys now occupy roughly 18 % of our state and are controlled through hunting. While wild turkeys can be found throughout the state, Northern California is home to the largest population.The most common species seen in the Sacramento Valley foothills is the Rio Grande wild turkey, identified by the buff-colored tips on its tail.
People either love or hate the presence of wild turkeys on their property. An adult turkey can weigh upwards of twenty pounds and can cause a lot of damage by roosting on cars, leaving droppings on sidewalks and driveways, and rooting in vegetable and flower gardens. Turkeys are easily domesticated and adapt effortlessly to the human environment where foraging is plentiful. Since turkey eggs hatch in just 28 days, a flock of wild turkeys can arise in a short period of time. There are strategies for humanely encouraging wild turkeys to move to a new neighborhood. Consider using motion detection sprinklers, removing bird feeders from areas where turkeys feed, removing pet kibble from an outside location, and letting Fido roam free in the yard. These tactics will frighten turkeys and encourage them to move on. During breeding season, turkeys can become aggressive. It's best to keep your distance.
California wild turkey season opens March 26 and runs through May 1. The limit is one bird per hunter per day, three per season; a hunting license and Upland Game Bird Validation are required.
Fun Facts:
- Diet: turkeys are omnivores and eat grasses, grains, and berries, as well as snails, slugs, lizards, grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders, and baby rattlesnakes.
- Average life span: three to five years in the wild. The oldest known wild turkey lived to be about 13 years old.
- Threats: racoon, fox, bear, opossum, hawks, wild cats, humans.
- Nighttime habits: turkeys can be found sleeping in trees.
- Wild turkeys can fly, and they have a top speed in flight of about 55 miles per hour. They also have strong legs and can run up to twenty-five miles an hour.
- Adult male turkeys are called toms, and females are called hens. Very young birds are poults. Juvenile males are jakes, and juvenile females are jennies. A group of turkeys is called a rafter or a flock.
- The wild turkey was Benjamin Franklin's preference for our national bird because of its protective instincts and proud demeanor.
California quail (Callipepla californica), also referred to as valley quail or California valley quail,are identified by the overlapping feathers on top of their small heads that curl into a U-shaped plume. Male quail have larger plumes than those of female quail. Another distinctive feature is the color of their heads. Female quail have brown heads, while the heads of males are black with white stripes. Quail are very social birds who live in coveys and can be seen nodding their heads with each step as they scratch their way across the ground. One of their communal activities is the dust bath, where they use their bellies to burrow down one to two inches in the soft soil, wriggling and flapping their wings and causing dust to fly. In spring, quail pair off for breeding season. They are serially monogamous, their bonds lasting only one season.
Quail nest on the ground in a shallow depression underneath a shrub or other cover. Hens usually lay about a dozen eggs, which incubate in 22 or 23 days. Once hatched, the chicks begin running around after only an hour, socializing with their parents. A spring heat wave can endanger a chick in the nest. In an unusually warm season, chicks may not survive. Chicks begin to fly at two weeks and become independent from their parents in three to four weeks. Families often group together in communal broods which include at least two females, multiple males, and many offspring. The male quail (cocks) in the group are often not genetic fathers to any of the offspring. During the fall season, quail travel in coveys that range from 25 to 40 birds, though it is not unusual for coveys to be even larger. Coveys of more than 1,000 quail have been reported.
Quail prefer to eat just before sunrise and sunset, but they forage for food throughout the day. One bird will keep watch while the others eat, keeping the covey safe from predators. Their distinctive, chi-ca-go call can be heard as they eat or search for food. Although mostly staying on the ground, when startled or frightened California quail will run for cover or fly (flush) away. Quail prefer to run and have been clocked at 12 miles an hour.
Quail were hunted by the indigenous people who lived in our region. Besides eating quail meat, indigenous people used quail plumage for decorating baskets and clothing. Quail became an important item of exchange and commerce. Today quail are still being hunted for sport. Over a million California quail are shot each year in the state. The season opens mid-September to mid-October and can remain open through January; again, a current hunting license and Upland Game Bird Validation are required for hunting these birds.
Fun Facts:
- Diet: quail are omnivores, eating caterpillars, beetles, mites, seeds, leaves, berries, and roots.
- Average life span: most California quail live two to three years, although there have been exceptions. the oldest known California quail lived to be almost seven years old.
- Threats: snakes, skunks, bobcats, coyotes, squirrels, domestic cats, humans.
- The California Quail became the state bird of California in 1932.
- The California quail became the official bird of San Francisco in July 2000.
Master Gardeners will be answering gardening questions at Magnolia Gift & Garden (1367 East Ave., Chico) during the Local Nursery Crawl on Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, 2022. 12 nurseries are taking part in the Crawl which runs from 9 am to 4 pm both days. Need a Butte County Garden Guide & Three-Year Journal? They are available at Magnolia Gift & Garden.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Have you seen wild turkeys wandering through your neighborhood? These American birds were once on the verge of extinction but now can be found foraging for food in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Some people enjoy the sight of a flock of wild turkeys strutting by their house. However, others may consider wild turkeys pests because of the droppings they leave behind, blocking traffic, destructive foraging, or aggressive behavior.
Whether you're a turkey fan or not, you can find out more in the brand new Pest Notes: Wild Turkeys. Author Greg Giusti, a UC Cooperative Extension emeritus advisor, details their biology and behavior, their impacts, and ways to manage wild turkey problems on your property.
- Author: Elaine Lander
It has been rumored that Ben Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird and symbol of our nation. Whether this is true or not, there is evidence that Franklin thought highly of this holiday bird. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin called the turkey a “respectable bird…though a little vain & silly, [he is] a bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack.”
In California, wild turkeys have started to become more common sightings in our communities. Some Californians may enjoy watching wildlife, but others find them to be quite the nuisance. Wild turkeys foraging for food in residential areas can destroy landscapes and gardens, leave their droppings on sidewalks and patios, and have been known to roost on cars, scratching the paint. During breeding season in spring, turkeys can be particularly aggressive, charging and attacking people.
- Do not feed the turkeys. Many people don't know this, but it is actually illegal in California to feed wildlife according to this section of the California Code of Regulations.
- Remove bird feeders that might be attracting them.
- Install motion-detecting sprinklers to deter turkeys from foraging in your yard.
- Open an umbrella or wave a walking stick in front of you if confronted by an aggressive or persistent wild turkey.
- Proceed slowly when driving if you encounter a wild turkey in the roadway.
If you are thinking of catching one of these birds for your Thanksgiving table, keep in mind that wild turkeys are considered a game species and require a hunting license from California Department Fish and Wildlife for depredation.
For more information about wild turkeys in California, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Wild-Turkey.
Wild turkey sightings have gone from being a rare occasion to becoming a common event in recent years, as their populations have exploded in some urban areas of California. These large birds often travel together in flocks, where they cause trouble as they search for food – by scratching and digging in gardens, and leaving their waste behind. Wild turkeys often pose a traffic hazard as they cross streets or walk in roads. They can also be aggressive and may chase or harass people.
Sometimes people think it's neat to have wild turkeys around and may even encourage them by putting out food. However, did you know it is illegal in California to feed wildlife?
What should you do if you see wild turkeys in your neighborhood?
- Remove any bird feeders that might be attracting them.
- Install motion-detecting sprinklers to deter turkeys from foraging in your yard (sprinklers work for some other vertebrate pests as well).
- Wild turkeys typically will not enter yards with dogs.
- If confronted by an aggressive or persistent wild turkey, open an umbrella or wave a walking stick to help steer it out of your path.
- When driving, proceed slowly and avoid any sudden stops or swerves that may cause an accident.
Read more about wild turkeys in California and other control measures at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Wild-Turkey
- Author: Trina Wood
For home gardeners, spring is a busy time of year and there’s never a tomato with more flavor than one grown to full ripeness on the vine. But there are also many safety precautions to follow to prevent contamination of fruits and vegetables with pathogens that cause serious food-borne illnesses.
Michele Jay-Russell, a veterinarian and research microbiologist at the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) and program manager of the Western Center for Food Safety (WCFS), recently co-authored a study that highlights the need to be aware of the hazards associated with using raw animal manure to fertilize home gardens. (Read full article here.)
The basis for the study began in July of 2010 when a shire mare from a rural Northern California farm was brought to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for treatment of colic. Following protocol, the veterinarians on call screened the horse for Salmonella to avoid infecting other horses during hospitalization. She tested positive and after successful treatment for colic, went home. Her owners then notified the veterinarians that some of their other draft horses were sick as well — all 8 were tested and 6 came back positive for the same Salmonella Oranienburg strain, including the mare that still had the infection.
Jay-Russell heard about the case from her colleague John Madigan, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the school. The farm’s owners invited Jay-Russell and Madigan to the farm to see if they could uncover the source of the Salmonella infection. They sampled water from horse troughs, manure storage piles, wild turkey feces and soil from the family’s edible home garden where raw horse manure had been used as fertilizer. Each of those locations had a percentage of positive samples over the sampling period from August 2010 to March 2011.
“We showed the owners how to continue collecting samples and provided them with a FedEx number to ship them to UC Davis,” Jay-Russell said. “During that whole time, the garden soil kept coming back positive, which showed that this strain of Salmonella could persist for months.”
While the researchers couldn’t be completely certain about the original source of Salmonella on the farm, they suspect that a recent surge in the wild turkey population on the property introduced the bacteria to the horses by pooping in the horse corrals and in the water troughs. They speculated that the wild turkeys brought the Salmonella onto the property, although they couldn’t rule out the possibility that the birds were exposed on the farm or to other potential sources of Salmonella.
“What is clearer is that the raw horse manure applied as fertilizer was the most likely source of garden soil contamination,” Jay-Russell explained. “We suspect that the damp climate in Mendocino County may have contributed to the longevity of this bacterium in the soil long after the owners stopped applying the horse manure to the garden. Fortunately, the owners didn’t get sick, but our investigation showed the potential for widespread dissemination of Salmonella in a farm environment following equine infection.”
To promote safe gardening practices, Jay-Russell has teamed with Trevor Suslow, a Cooperative Extension food safety specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences, to speak to groups of small farmers around the state about best practices. They also use a brochure in English and Spanish, “Food Safety Tips for Your Edible Home Garden,” that includes information about safe uses of animal manure and ways to minimize animal fecal contamination.
“It’s good to let people know about the risks and to correct misinformation about ways to treat the compost pile before using it in the garden,” Jay-Russell said. “The biggest take home message from this experience is to be very careful about using manure from sick horses — and to be cautious about offers of free manure — you don’t know what’s in there. Commercial compost should be bought from a reputable source.”
She urges gardeners to take a class and learn how to compost correctly and safely. Each county in California has UC Cooperative Extension advisors and many have Master Gardener programs offering information on food safety.
Additional resources: