European Wild Turkey | Online Record Book Preview

Meleagris gallopavo

Truthahan (German), Pavo (Spanish), Turecko (Czech), Curcan (Romania), Turcika (Slovenian)

DESCRIPTION Turkeys of various stocks have been introduced into Europe for hundreds of years with the first reports being domestic stock from Mexico to Spain in the early 16th century. As a result, feral populations in Europe have varying characteristics. Males are considerably larger than females, with adult males sometimes exceeding 20 pounds while hens average eight to 12 pounds. Adult males have spurs and beards while hens do not have beards, except on rare occasions, or spurs. Both sexes have few feathers on the head and upper neck and have generally pinkish-red feet and legs. Males are more brightly colored than the females.

DISTRIBUTION Known populations of wild turkey have existed for many decades in Moravia Province of the Czech republic and around Palarikovo in the Slovak Republic. Both locations released wild turkey and white-tailed deer from the USA starting in 1884, when this part of Europe was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Turkeys are also well established within an 800-square-kilometer area of the central Bohemia Province of western Czechoslovakia. The Czech and Slovak populations have adapted very well to the climatic conditions of these countries and currently the population count for each of them is over 1,000 birds. Populations also live in Germany within the Northwest Tanus Forest, where the Eastern subspecies from Vermont were released in 1978. A report from Norbert Ullmann indicates additional huntable populations exist in France, Spain, and Slovenia. Although many attempts to establish populations throughout Europe have been made, unfortunately most have been without success. (Dickson 1992)  European Wild Turkeys taken in Slovakia are geographically described as follows: Country: Slovakia Region/Province: Danube Province Locality: Palarikovo