Turkeys are everywhere this time of year, from grocery stores to Thanksgiving decorations. But while most Americans are familiar with the bird that takes center stage at the holiday dinner table, there’s a good chance they don’t know what a group of turkeys is actually called.
The most familiar answer is flock, but turkeys have a more unusual collective name: rafter. According to Dictionary.com, the word refers to “a flock, especially of turkeys.” Both words are correct, although rafter is far less commonly heard.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a group of turkeys can also be called a gang. The word rafter might sound strange, especially since most people associate rafters with the wooden beams supporting a roof. But the term has long been used to describe groups of these birds.
Wild turkeys are social birds, especially during fall and winter. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, males and females often form separate groups during the colder months, with young birds sometimes gathering together as well.
And despite spending much of their day walking around on the ground, wild turkeys have another surprising habit: they sleep in trees.
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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology explains that wild turkeys fly up into trees around sunset, where they spend the night away from many ground-dwelling predators. They may even return to familiar roosting areas.
These gatherings can be surprisingly large. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, wild turkey flocks typically contain 10 to 30 birds, although groups of up to 100 have been observed during fall and winter.
So, if you happen to spot several wild turkeys wandering through a field or crossing a road this Thanksgiving season, you’ll know what to call them. Whether it’s a flock, a gang or a rafter, these birds have a much more interesting social life than their holiday reputation might suggest.
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