What is Turkey (bird)?
{{Automatic taxobox | name = Turkey | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|23|0}}<small>Early [[Miocene]] – Recent</small> | image = Wild_turkey_eastern_us.jpg | image_caption = [[Wild turkey]] | taxon = Meleagris | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = *''[[Wild turkey|M. gallopavo]]'' * ''[[Ocellated turkey|M. ocellata]]'' <!-- | wikispecies = Meleagris | itis = 176135--> }} [[File:Meleagris gallopavo MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.9.30.jpg|thumb|''Meleagris gallopavo'']] The '''turkey''' is a large [[bird]] in the [[genus]] '''''Meleagris''''', native to [[North America]]. There are two extant turkey species: the [[wild turkey]] (''Meleagris gallopavo'') of eastern and central North America and the [[Ocellated Turkey|ocellated turkey]] (''Meleagris ocellata'') of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] in [[Mexico]]. In the [[United States]], people traditionally eat turkey on the [[holiday]] of [[Thanksgiving]]. == Naming == When people from [[Europe]] first saw turkeys in [[the Americas]] they thought the birds were a type of [[Guineafowl|guinea fowl]] (''Numida meleagris''). This bird had been brought to central Europe from the [[country]] of [[Turkey]]. The name of that country stuck as the name of the bird.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Messenger|first=Stephen|date=23 November 2010|title=Naming of the Turkey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/sep/23/terry-jones-monty-python-star-dementia-diagnosis-bafta-cymru|website=How an American Bird Got the Name 'Turkey'|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=23 September 2016}}</ref> The confusion with the name is also seen in the scientific name: ''meleagris'' is [[Greek language|Greek]] for guinea-fowl. == References == {{reflist}} == Other websites == {{commons cat-inline|Meleagris}} {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Turkeys]] [[Category:Poultry]] [[Category:Birds of North America]]