You might be surprised to know that one of the animals most commonly seen along Cades Cove Loop Road is the wild turkey! The Smoky Mountains are home to the eastern wild turkey, which is one of six subspecies of wild turkey that live in North America, and this subspecies has the strongest gobbles and longest beard of any of the other subspecies! Here are 3 other fun facts about the wild turkeys in Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
1. Wild Turkeys Can Fly
Many people think that the wild turkey can’t fly because it spends so much time feeding on the ground. However, while walking is the main mode of transportation for this large bird, the turkey is also capable of flying! In fact, the wild turkeys are actually skilled fliers and have been known to fly up to 55 or 60 miles per hour in short bursts! When the sun sets, the turkeys will fly up into the largest tree available and land on the lowest limb to spend the night. They are the largest nesting bird in the Smoky Mountains, so keep your eyes focused on the branches if you happen to be driving along Cades Cove Loop Road during sunset!
2. Wild Turkeys Have Excellent Eyesight
Another one of the fun facts about the wild turkeys in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is that they have excellent eyesight! While the turkey may not be able to see as well at night, its vision during the day is exceptionally good. Their eyesight is sometimes described as being three times sharper than a human with 20/20 vision! Due to the shape of their heads and the position of their eyes, a turkey has a wide field of vision of around 270 degrees. This is much more than that of a human’s field of vision! It is also interesting to know that their eyesight is in color, which is generally rare among animals.
3. Snoods Are Used For Mating Purposes
The snood of a wild turkey, that fleshy appendage that hangs over the turkey’s beak, is used for mating purposes. While all turkeys have snoods, they are more prominent in males and a male turkey’s snood starts to grow after sexual maturity (typically around 4 to 6 months of age). The snood helps the females find a suitable mate, and female turkeys generally prefer males with longer and brighter snoods when searching for a mate. The turkey’s snood serves other purposes as well, such as helping it cool down when it’s hot. The length of a snood can also indicate a turkey’s mood - a longer snood means the turkey is more confident, while a shorter snood means it's scared or unsure.
Now that you know some of the fun facts about the wild turkeys in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you may be wondering about some of the other animals that you can spot along Cades Cove Loop Road! Check out these fun facts about the Cades Cove wildlife that you’re likely to see on a visit!
