This colorful fellow came across our path as we were hiking in Brown Canyon which is part of the Coronado National Forest. There were a couple of females around and as we approached, he fluffed his feathers and put on quite a display. His wattle got redder and redder until it remained a deep, dark red. I never appreciated how colorful and perhaps a bit strange turkeys appeared.

There is one subspecies of turkey that is known to inhabit the area in which this particular bird was spotted and it is Merriam’s Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami). I am guessing that is the bird in these pictures, but I am not absolutely certain. Any comments that would help confirm this would be appreciated.

Below is close up of the tom’s head. It really is astounding to see all those vibrant colors and features!

For more information, you can check Arizona Game & Fish Department web page.

My Personal Birding Philosophy

I enjoy birdwatching or rather bird identification. I am not an avid birdwatcher, but rather an opportunistic birdwatcher. What I mean by that is that my other hobby, photography, takes me to scenic places where I often see birds. I like to take several snaps of the birds and then return home with my birding books and try to identify the winged creatures I encountered.

I must confess that I am not one to travel far just to see a bird or two although I have done that on occasion. I would rather take them as they come and count myself lucky when I spot a new-to-me bird. I do admire birds and advocate for them whenever I can.

 
See additional photographs and posts about birds HERE.