White wild turkey???

[MB1]

So on the advice of a farmer the other day I went and checked out "a white and black bird dead in a tree." On that description I thought snowy owl...Upon arrival and two days of figuring out how to get it out of the willows surrounded by flood water it turns out to be a turkey! It's white and black, long beard and big spurs on the legs. Is this a wild bird or a farmers pet? I don't now enough to know the difference between a domestic and wild turkey. I didn't think domestic birds flew or had beards. Or for that matter black on them.

Any help here would be appreciated, if it's wild I think it would make a cool mount.

Thanks

[Cow Town Bill]

A number of years ago I saw two albino turkeys in one flock--- I was hunting antelope in Wyoming.
I think albino turkeys are not too uncommon compared to other species b

[wwbirds]

Lots of pictures on internet

[JTRED]

According to local CO in our area 'white' wild turkeys are the product of wild flocks interbreeding with domestic. Not albino and he feels they need to be culled immediately to keep from contaminating the genetics.

[kenh]

Seen them in Manitoba and that's what they felt there was interbreeding between wild and tame

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by kenh

Seen them in Manitoba and that's what they felt there was interbreeding between wild and tame

Archie Bunker would have a heyday with that one!

[Red Bullets]

Odd that the Alberta turkey still has it's white winter plumage. Should be turning grey and brown by now like the hares.

Albinos would have different colored eyes and probably pinker legs and beak. And most likely no black anywhere. Younger domestic turkeys fly enough to get to a roost for sure if outdoors but the bigger breasted mature birds don't. And they have beards too.

[magnumjoe]

Originally Posted by MB1

So on the advice of a farmer the other day I went and checked out "a white and black bird dead in a tree." On that description I thought snowy owl...Upon arrival and two days of figuring out how to get it out of the willows surrounded by flood water it turns out to be a turkey! It's white and black, long beard and big spurs on the legs. Is this a wild bird or a farmers pet? I don't now enough to know the difference between a domestic and wild turkey. I didn't think domestic birds flew or had beards. Or for that matter black on them.

Any help here would be appreciated, if it's wild I think it would make a cool mount.

Thanks

This is a wild turkey , i have seen several of them in the wild, and in different provinces, they are quite comon .

[britman101]

It is probably what they call a smoke phase colored turkey. Not an albino but one which shows a lot of white with dark colored or black plumage intermixed. They can occur in the wild but are extremely rare.

[Douglas N]

We saw one in southern Georgia a month ago.

[nighteyes]

Shot a hen years ago that was all grey , taxi said was cross.