When scouting for spring turkeys, hunters tend to concentrate their efforts on roosting areas, clearings, and travel routes between the two areas. This approach makes sense, as gobblers are more focused on strutting their stuff than securing a meal this time of year. But turkeys have to eat, too, and paying attention to food sources can pay off.
Understanding what wild turkeys eat—and why they eat certain foods at certain times of the year—is valuable knowledge for turkey hunters. From a management perspective, it can help us gauge the productivity of different habitats. And from a scouting perspective, it can help us pinpoint areas where birds are likely to congregate.
Wild turkeys are large ground-dwelling birds native to North America. As members of the Galliformes order, they are closely related to grouse, chickens and pheasants. But what do these wild birds actually eat? Can wild turkeys be classified as carnivores since they sometimes eat small vertebrates? Let’s take a closer look at the omnivorous diet of wild turkeys.
An Overview of What’s on the Wild Turkey Menu
Wild turkeys are opportunistic feeders and true omnivores. Their diet varies based on the food sources available in their habitat. But in general, wild turkeys consume a diverse combination of:
- Seeds and nuts (acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts)
- Berries and fruits (grapes, blackberries, apples)
- Leaves, shoots, roots, and flowers
- Insects (grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars)
- Small vertebrates (lizards, snakes, mice)
The availability of certain foods changes with the seasons, Hard mast like acorns makes up more of their diet in fall and winter Insects and fresh greens are more important in spring and summer
But do wild turkeys actually eat meat? Let’s take a closer look at the animal portion of their diet.
Exploring the Meat-Eating Habits of Wild Turkeys
While vegetation makes up the bulk of their diet, wild turkeys will opportunistically eat small vertebrates for the protein. Examples include:
- Frogs and salamanders
- Snakes and lizards
- Rodents like mice and voles
- Bird eggs and hatchlings
Most turkeys consume insects and arachnids far more frequently than vertebrate prey. But their flexible, omnivorous diet allows them to adapt to different environments and food availability.
Turkeys living near water often eat more amphibians and aquatic animals. And poults (baby turkeys) need extra protein from insects for healthy growth and development.
Key Points to Understand About Wild Turkey Diets
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As omnivores, wild turkeys eat both plant and animal matter.
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Insects make up a critical source of protein in their diet.
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They will occasionally eat small vertebrates for extra protein and nutrients.
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The availability of certain foods changes with the seasons.
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Hard mast like acorns is especially important in fall and winter.
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The omnivorous diet allows wild turkeys to adapt and thrive in diverse habitats.
Can Wild Turkeys Hunt Like Other Predators?
Given their largely herbivorous diet, wild turkeys do not hunt in the way traditional predators like hawks, coyotes, or bobcats do. They use their strong legs, feet, and beaks to forage, scratch, and peck the ground for food.
Their opportunistic meat consumption relies more on stumbling across small vertebrates versus actively pursuing them. Turkeys may sometimes grab a frog or lizard while foraging among the vegetation.
So while wild turkeys do occasionally eat meat, they are not predators in the true sense. Insects and plant food make up the foundation of their omnivorous diet. The consumption of small animals provides supplemental nutrition and protein.
Impacts of Meat-Eating on Wild Turkey Behavior
The availability or scarcity of high-protein animal foods can influence wild turkey activities and habits:
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Male turkeys may gobble less and spend more time foraging when insect numbers are low.
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Hens preparing to nest and breed may increase meat consumption to accumulate protein.
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Poults need ample insects in their diet for healthy growth.
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Groups of turkeys may congregate in areas with plentiful frogs, salamanders, or rodents.
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Lack of protein from insects or mast crops may decrease poult survival rates.
So while small vertebrates make up a minor portion of most wild turkeys’ total food intake, they do provide an important nutritional complement. Their flexible, omnivorous diet allows wild turkeys to flourish across diverse habitats throughout North America.
Inspect a Turkey’s Crop
All five subspecies of wild turkeys in North America eat this diet. The specific contents of their diet varies significantly by region, however, and the best way to understand what turkeys are eating in your area is to inspect the crop of a harvested bird.
“Sometimes you open up their crop and it’s packed full of one flower,” says Dr. Mike Chamberlain, a lifelong turkey hunter and one of the country’s leading wild turkey researchers. “Other times you’ll see ten different things.”
What Types of Food Do Wild Turkeys Eat?
Wild turkeys are true omnivores. This means they’ll eat just about anything they can find, including grasses, invertebrates, forbs, seeds, tubers, nuts, and fruits, along with the occasional small mammal, reptile, or amphibian. Wild turkeys living in farm country will also seek out waste grain, chaff, and other agricultural leftovers.
A hen searches for bugs during the summertime in Florida.
While plants make up the majority of a wild turkey’s annual diet, invertebrates—especially grubs and insects—are critical sources of protein for the birds. That means wild turkeys do eat pill bugs, grasshoppers, beetles, snails, caterpillars, and ticks.
Turkeys forage for these food sources throughout the day by scratching and pecking at the ground. The food is stored in the bird’s crop (an enlarged chamber in the esophagus) before it is swallowed and digested.
Wild Bird Food : What Do Wild Turkeys Eat?
FAQ
Do wild turkeys eat animals?
Are wild turkeys carnivorous?
What are wild turkeys eating in my yard?
What is the favorite food for wild turkeys?
Do wild turkeys eat bugs?
A hen searches for bugs during the summertime in Florida. While plants make up the majority of a wild turkey’s annual diet, invertebrates—especially grubs and insects—are critical sources of protein for the birds. That means wild turkeys do eat pill bugs, grasshoppers, beetles, snails, caterpillars, and ticks.
What do wild turkeys eat?
They will mostly eat plant matter they forage for on the ground, and sometimes they will climb into shrubs and other low trees to look for fruits. On occasion, they will consume small reptiles and amphibians. But like most bird species, wild turkeys are opportunists, meaning, they will sample any food that is readily available.
Can you eat a wild turkey?
Yes, you can eat a wild turkey. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before you do. * Wild turkeys are not domesticated animals, and they may carry diseases that can be harmful to humans. It is important to make sure that the turkey you are eating is from a reputable source and has been properly tested for diseases.
Do turkeys eat food?
But for turkeys, we can rule out food as a limiting factor. Given this bird’s extreme omnivory, other factors would likely come into to play before turkeys begin starving to death. For example, even in the depths of winter when snow cover blocks access to the ground, turkeys can make do.