Uwishunu.com

I work at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and have been seeing a flock of wild turkeys almost every morning. These birds are quite tame, although they have a definite comfort zone. Lately the flock has been hanging outside of the Refuge’s environmental education center and the attached administrative wing. A wheel chair ramp runs alongside the administrative wing and the turkeys have taken to perching on the railing and facing straight into the office windows. Sometimes the birds will be on the deck looking into the door. These are wild birds, wild turkeys are native to Pennsylvania and these birds were not introduced to the refuge. It is hard not to think that these birds know we are there, they stare right at us as we work at our desks. Not to anthropomorphize, but these birds do seem curious.

I would not be the first Philadelphian to anthropomorphize the wild turkey; in a letter to his daughter regarding the merits of the bald eagle as our national emblem, a bird he felt was a “rank coward”, Ben Franklin had this to say about the bird he felt more qualified: “For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.

Wild turkeys can be found in Philadelphia at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and in Pennypack Park.

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
heinz.fws.gov

Pennypack Park
www.pennypackpark.org