FaunaFocus: Ocellated Turkey

The ocellated turkey is one of only 2 species of turkey in the world.

Less is known about the ocellated turkey than any other turkey species or subspecies.

Ocellated turkeys are significantly smaller than all other turkeys.

The spots on the ocellated turkey’s tail helped give it its name, as the Latin word for “eye” is “oculus”.

The head of the male ocellated turkey has a fleshy blue crown adorned with yellow-orange nodules which enlarge during breeding season.

The ocellated turkey only exists in a 50,000 square mile area.

Legs of adult male ocellated turkeys have pronounced spurs.

An ocellated turkey’s tail spots are similar to a peacock’s, causing scientists to once believe it was more related to peafowl.

On rare ocassions, female ocellated turkeys have been spotted with spurs.

The ocellated turkey’s Mayan Indian name is “ucutz il chican”.

There appears to be a good correlation of ocellated turkey spur length with age.

The strutting display of ocellated turkeys is referred to as “dancing” by the people of Central America.

Large scale timbering operations followed by slash and burn agriculture are one of the ocellated turkey’s primary threats.

Much more information is needed regarding the ecology of the ocellated turkey.

Approximately 70% of ocellated turkey hens and 13% of poults survive the nesting and brood-rearing period.

Ocellated turkey predators include gray fox, ocelot, margay, raccoon, coati, jaguarundi, tira, cougar, jaguar, birds, & snakes.

Ocellated hens lay an average of 12 eggs, with an average of 6 poults hatching per hen.

Ocellated turkeys can be found in arid brushlands, savanna, marshland, forests, mature rain forests, and abandoned farmland.

Ocellated turkeys are not nearly as vocal as the other species and subspecies of turkey.

Nesting season is the only time when ocellated turkeys are associated with heavily vegetated areas, called “bajos”.

The ocellated turkey’s vocalization has been written phonetically as “whump-whump-whump—pum-pum-pum-peedle-glunk.”

Ocellated turkeys were valued for Mayan ceremonial banquets and are still eaten by locals today.

Few ocellated turkeys have been bred in captivity successfully.

The ocellated turkey was never domesticated as the wild turkey.

Ocellated turkey chicks are bright yellow underneath and have black down with yellow tips on their backs and wing stubs.

The ocellated turkey is Near Threatened as it has a small declining population due to hunting pressure and habitat loss.

Ocellated turkeys are excellent eating and are heavily hunted for food, trade, and occasionally sport, even within reserves.

There was speculation that chicken-born diseases were introduced into the ocellated turkey population by domestic poultry.

The ocellated turkey is omnivorous and feeds on grass, seeds, leaves, fruits, succulent vegetables, insects, and corn.

Ocellated turkeys lack the chest tuft and wattles of the North American species and their heads are blue instead of red.

Both sexes of ocellated turkeys have nodules, but they’re more pronounced on males.

Leg lengths of the ocellated turkey differ between sexes.