So a guy at work sent this to me today. A little slow at first, but a couple minutes in and certainly towards the end, I busted out laughing. Experience “The Turkey Whisperer”!!!
We have them all over the place here in Fargo, ND & they act just like this! Seriously dumb birds! Can’t believe Ben Franklin wanted to make them our National Bird instead of the bald eagle.
People around here who most frequently talk about turkeys being dumb are usually bird hunters, wildlife experts, and ranchers. I figure these folk are the ones who have wildlife experience that’s not “nature romanticized” or otherwise sentimentalized.
As for “intimidating”-style bird conduct: It’s the usual stuff. Animal behavioralists labeled it that way, afaik.
The flock is trying to drive away the obviously diseased bird and not having any luck. He’s rather lucky the big tom didn’t go after him. I wonder if they shot any of them after they stopped filming.
I’m no where near as good as he is at it, but I CAN get them to talk back to me pretty often, and some of our local owls do too- every once in awhile when I start hooting at them, I can hear them moving around trying to triangulate on where I’m calling from.
Just had to say thanks for the laugh. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I don’t care to analyze whether they are smart or dumb from what I saw the guy was the dumb one because I didn’t see the turkeys trying to imitate him. Once again many thanks for the laugh. Peace ✌ out
Funny, but gotta be somebody’s pet turkeys.
We have them all over the place here in Fargo, ND & they act just like this! Seriously dumb birds! Can’t believe Ben Franklin wanted to make them our National Bird instead of the bald eagle.
@tohar1 Turkeys are usually pretty smart.
@Pantheist
Around here they are famous for being dumb.
I once saw several of them try to intimidate a big white Expedition.
The vehicle was on the road. The road was surrounded by tended lawn and open gravel parking.
Any potential nesting areas were hundreds of yards away.
And yet there they were, standing in from of an Expedition, flapping at it, and trying to peck at it, while the driver watched, bemused.
@f00l People who think they’re dumb usually haven’t spent much time watching them and try to assign human traits to them.
@tohar1 Dumb. But I bet they taste better than eagles…
@Pantheist however if you look at their brain size to body size it certainly is much smaller than many other birds that size…
@Pantheist
People around here who most frequently talk about turkeys being dumb are usually bird hunters, wildlife experts, and ranchers. I figure these folk are the ones who have wildlife experience that’s not “nature romanticized” or otherwise sentimentalized.
As for “intimidating”-style bird conduct: It’s the usual stuff. Animal behavioralists labeled it that way, afaik.
@Kidsandliz Brain to body size is a poor argument
@f00l shrug Watch the pack behavior and roles. Pretty intricate for birds.
@Pantheist
Admit to knowing nothing formal about turkeys.
Just what I hear.
@Pantheist any animal that will drown in a rain storm because it states up and won’t shut it’s mouth is dumb…
@tightwad
Might be Open Mouth Adjustment Disorder.
@tightwad Any person that believes everything it hears is dumb.
https://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/turkey.asp
The flock is trying to drive away the obviously diseased bird and not having any luck. He’s rather lucky the big tom didn’t go after him. I wonder if they shot any of them after they stopped filming.
I’m no where near as good as he is at it, but I CAN get them to talk back to me pretty often, and some of our local owls do too- every once in awhile when I start hooting at them, I can hear them moving around trying to triangulate on where I’m calling from.
That big one was kind of scary.
My son can do that with goats it’s the funniest thing cause he shakes his whole body to make it sound right and hea been doing it sense he was 3 lol
Just had to say thanks for the laugh. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I don’t care to analyze whether they are smart or dumb from what I saw the guy was the dumb one because I didn’t see the turkeys trying to imitate him. Once again many thanks for the laugh. Peace ✌ out
That turkey video was a riot.