More research on the ocellated turkey is being planned, including distribution and singing surveys in Guatemala and a distribution survey in the Yucatán of Mexico. It appears to originate a long way down and the turkey makes a series of jerking motions while attempting to bring it out. Based on information obtained during the radiotelemetry study in the Tikal National Park, most adult hens attempt to nest. These spurs are much longer and thinner than on North American turkeys. They wear no beards, weigh far less than U.S. birds, and still, these jungle turkeys are as wary as any U.S. tom. Profile: Ocellated Turkey. HABITAT Subtropical / Tropical The ocellated turkey only associates with seasonally flooded habitats and open areas, called bajos, when breeding. Ocellated Turkey Hunt. The spots, or ocelli (located on the tail), for which the ocellated turkey is named, have been likened to the patterning typical… Entdecke (und sammle) deine eigenen Pins bei Pinterest. However, many hunters take their Ocellated off the roost by listening for their singing as dawn breaks and then sneaking up to their roost tree for a shot before the bird flies down for the day. Shrubland (Photo courtesy of J.J. Reich) The Ocellated turkey, found only in portions of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Northern Belize, and Northern Guatemala, is a stunning bird. Predator populations in these tropical forest habitats are diverse and apparently abundant. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Macaulay Library. Because ocellated turkeys are so little known, conversation help has not been forthcoming. They occur in southeast Mexico in the Yucatán peninsula, the El Petén region of northern Guatemala, and Northwest and west-central Belize. Dickson, J. G. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The best known is the common turkey, while the other species is the ocellated turkey. The range of the ocellated turkey is comprised of many diverse habitat types including arid brush lands and shrublands, savanna, marshland, grassland, second growth forest, interspersed abandoned farmland called milpas, and old growth mature rain forests. Hunt wild turkeys: Learn about the wild turkey subspecies. I don't sell eggs or poults, they are so fragile when young that I don't offer them for sale till they are about a year old and fully vaccinated. The Maya valued ocellated turkeys for ceremonial banquets. The body feathers on both males and females are very similar with their bronze green iridescent coloration. During its mating season, the male turkey struts to attract a female. Information on habitat needs, population dynamics, and management techniques is required to properly conserve this valuable resource. An ocellated turkey’s tail spots are similar to a peacock’s, causing scientists to once believe it was more related to peafowl. The other turkey. The feeding rates of male ocellated turkeys have been observed to be significantly higher during January before the breeding season begins than when the breeding season is in full swing. Like their relative, the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), ocellated turkeys are excellent eating and are heavily hunted through their small range for food, trade, and occasionally sport, even within reserves. Modern accommodations are clean and comfortable with electricity, private baths, air conditioning, beds, … The breeding season of the ocellated turkey begins by the end of February or early March, with nesting taking place from April. Legs of adult male ocellated turkeys have pronounced spurs. The ocellated turkey is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species because it has a moderately small population which is suspected to be in decline owing mainly to unsustainable levels of exploitation, hunting pressure, and ongoing habitat loss, degradation, and destruction. These spurs are much longer and thinner than on North American turkeys. The Wilson Bulletin, 110(4): 505-510. These spurs are much longer and thinner than on North American turkeys. Male gives a curious accelerating series of nasal grunts becoming a gobble. It was sometimes previously treated in a genus of its own (Agriocharis), but the differences between the two turkey species, the ocellated turkey and the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) are currently considered too small to justify generic segregation. It has a 3 inch spurs average. Borgmann, K. (2014, February 24). & Gonzalez, M. J. Ocellated wild turkeys, which live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, are its own species of wild turkey. Ocellated turkey spurs are longer and more attenuated than those of North American gobblers. The distinct eye-ring of bright, red-colored skin especially becomes visible on adult males during the breeding season. Watching a strutting male display is like seeing a Wild Turkey through a colorized filter: The baby-blue head is dotted with red and orange wart-like bumps. Create art and share it with #faunafocus. 19y. Historically, hunters shot roosted turkeys … Ocellated turkey hunts cost $3500.00 and are four days in length and include everything other than your travel arrangements to the city of Campeche, Mexico and any Hotel lodging required. Being the most remote and exotic species of North American wild turkeys, ocellated turkey is usually the crown of a turkey hunter’s “Big Six Slam”. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. Few ocellated turkeys have been bred in captivity successfully. 066 – Turkey Hunting Scenarios with Eddie Salter, 055 – Using Google Earth to Become a Better Turkey Hunter, 031 – Turkey Calling 101 with Chris Parrish, 119 – Pre Season Scouting for Wild Turkeys with Preston Pittman, 078 – Turkey Calling Tips and Tactics with Chris Parrish, 126 – Scouting Advice from Turkey Hunting Pros, 45 Questions to Ask Turkey Hunting Outfitters, 068 – Winter Turkey Hunting with Rob Keck, 049 – What to Do After You Shoot a Turkey, 053b – How to Choose Public Land for Turkey Hunting, Episode 3-1: The Turkey Hunter Podcast – Tom Kelly Interview, 127 – Understanding The Body Language of Wild Turkeys with Phillip Vanderpool, 125 – Dissecting a Box Call with Bob Fulcher, 124 – Interviews with Turkey Hunting Pros at the NWTF Convention. These sites are farmed until the thin soils are depleted of nutrients or eroded away during rainy seasons. Gobbling can occur without the bird coming out of strut. A hunter is allowed to take only one (1) long bearded turkey on this hunt. Hometown: 1. National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). However, it has been extirpated from north Yucatán, west Campeche, east Tabasco and north-east Chiapas, Mexico, and numbers and habitat quality are presumably declining elsewhere. A radiotelemetry study in Tikal National Park provided the only information on the survival of ocellated turkeys in the wild. In 2003, Lovett used the "ocellated turkey clucker" to call in a trophy with spurs exceeding 2 inches taken by Michael Tull of Roswell, Georgia. During the ocellated turkey’s nesting season, the edges of the bajos are dry enough to be used as nesting sites by the birds. We hunt the Ocellated in the state of Campeche, Mexico, which is the western most state of the Yucatan Peninsula. If you are interested in hunting an Ocellated, save your money as this hunt is an expensive one. Rasmussen, P. C. (2014, January 25). A relative of the more common Wild Turkey , it was sometimes previously treated in a genus of its own but the differences between this species and ''Meleagris gallopavo'' are too small to justify generic segregation. (1996). In the low-lying wet sites of bajos, large trees are sparse and rarely exceed 60 feet in height while the understory is choked with thorny shrubs and vines. Ocellated turkeys also differ from M. gallopavo in having slimmer, shorter, redder legs. The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world (3rd ed.). 5 day all inclusive hunt package. The male Ocellated has a blue fleshy “crown” behind its snood. Most of this land is flat and covered by dense rainforest or fields planted in sorghum or other similar grains. Macaulay, L. R. (1997, February 19). The birds have bright, light blue necks and heads, and have red-orange eye-lids. Our Osceola turkey hunts are 3 days, consisting of three morning and three afternoon hunts. LeBron: 'We got a feel for' Rockets' speed in loss. The following day, one They feed on the ground, taking food where its available. Spurs are straight, blunt, an inch long or so, without the slight curve a 3-year-old's might have. The Ocellated is much smaller than any of the North American turkeys with males weighing 10 – 12 pounds and females weighing about 6 – 8 pounds. It may be possible to age male ocellated turkeys based on the width of the rich copper band on their wings as adults of both sexes appear to have wider bands. The ocellated turkey is the smallest of the world’s two species of turkey. Spring Ocellated Turkey Hunt '21 Mexico. Ocellated Turkey (. Few people ask to buy an ocellated turkey from him. In: Dickson, J. G. He shakes his tail feathers to and fro, and then spreads them out in the familiar fan. (1998). Arable Land. Ocellated Turkey is a CITES species, and you’re going to need a special permit to export the trophy. Ocellated turkeys are much smaller than any of the subspecies of North American wild turkey, hence their need for a bit more protection. Rank. Humans also hunt adult turkeys for food. Mar 27, 2013 - This Pin was discovered by Manuela Preuße. On the island of Cozumel, where the Spanish and the Maya first met, both ocellated and domesticated turkeys were eaten. The eye shaped spot on the tail feather is how the Ocellated gets its name (the Latin word for “eye” is “oculus”). Their diet includes, but is not limited to nuts, berries, seeds, leaves, grass, fruit, succulent vegetables, and corns. The male ocellated turkey also has long spurs on his legs, the length of which helps to determine the bird's age. Ocellated turkey, Meleagris ocellata (synonym, Agriocharis ocellata), Cuvier, 1820, photographed at Yucatán, Mexico (Central America). Large scale timbering operations followed by slash-and-burn agriculture are one of the ocellated turkey’s primary threats. Male and female coloration is similar; only male Ocellated turkeys have spurs. The Tom (Male) Turkey has a large, featherless red colored head, throat, and wattle. Spur length of two inches and over probably indicates three-year-old or older gobblers. Ocellated turkeys. The Ocellated wild turkey really is quite striking. Porter, W. F. & Kirwan, G. M. (2017). The ocellated turkey is the smallest species of turkey and is significantly smaller than any of the five subspecies of wild turkey. Ocellated Turkey FaunaFact 10. The crown enlarges and the growths on the head and neck become more noticeable during breeding season. Our Ocellated turkey hunts take place near to the Kalakmul reserve in the Campeche state and run from mid March to mid May each week from Sunday to Saturday. Reliable sites include Tikal National Park in Guatemala, Chan Chich Lodge in Belize, and Calakmul in Campeche. Their heads are buffy yellow with a dark median stripe running down both the head and neck. ... Ocellated. During the breeding season, the fleshy blue crown or knob behind the snood on the head of male ocellated turkey enlarges and the coloration of the nodules becomes more pronounced. BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World (2016) 2000. Has anyone else on here chased these unique birds? The tail feathers of both the males and females are blue/gray in color, and they have an eye shaped blue bronze colored spot close to the end of the tail feathers. (1992). The Toms do have some nodules on their heads called carnucles and this is really the only distinguishing mark they have that you can tell the Tom and hen apart. A weight coupon or signed document must be presented for proof and an additional witness also is required. Before an ocellated gobbler goes into a strut, the tail feathers are held horizontal to the ground and moved from side to side, similar to a dog wagging its tail. Ocellated turkey adults and young are preyed on by gray foxes, margay cats, ocelots, raccoons, coatis, cougars, jaguarundi, jaguars, snakes, and birds of prey. However, the adult birds are known to have extremely long spurs, with some over 2 ½ inches and even some that push 3 inches. The most hassle-free way of handling this problem is to arrange the importation of the trophy using the services of an approved taxidermist. subspecies over 20 pounds or Ocellated turkeys over 12 pounds must be weighed to the nearest ounce on scales inspected and certified as accurate for trade by the state department of agriculture. The Yucatán Peninsula range includes the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, Petén, and Yucatan, as well as parts of southern Tabasco and northeastern Chiapas. Species profile: Ocellated Turkey. However, they grow extra long spurs on their legs, and red/orange warty-looking nodules on their heads. On top of each bird's head is an extension called a crown. The one body part that is not small on Ocellated wild turkeys are the spurs on the males, as 2″ spurs are not uncommon. Nov 28, 2014 - The Ocellated Turkey is one of the most beautiful birds in the world, and very few people even know it exists! Hunting strategies. The wild turkey: Biology and management. The ocellated turkey was never domesticated as the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), but they have been kept in captivity and fattened for eating.