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by Elliotte Rusty Harold.
Original Post: A Turkey in Manhattan
Feed Title: Mokka mit Schlag
Feed URL: http://www.elharo.com/blog/feed/atom/?
Feed Description: Ranting and Raving
Last night I was walking through Battery Park on my way to a meeting when I noticed an unbelievably large bird strutting around the grass, apparently unconcerned with all the people, most of whom were equally unconcerned with it. It was, to all appearances, a Wild Turkey. This is the first one I’ve ever seen in Manhattan and only the second I’ve seen in new York City. (The first was in a remote corner of the Bronx Botanical Gardens in the late-eighties/early nineties.)
I called it in to the rare bird alert, but apparently turkeys aren’t rare enough to qualify, even if they’re locally rare in downtown Manhattan. Lloyd Spitalnik did tell me one had been seen at this location last year too, so it may be the same bird returning.
I did consider whether it might be a domestic escapee, or even one deliberately put there. Some parks introduce swans. Why not a turkey? It’s certainly not a typical domestic bird, which is usually white, larger, unable to fly, and often incapable even of feeding itself. I suppose it could be one of the heritage breeds though. Those are considerably less stupid than the genetically engineered meat beasts harvested on most turkey farms today.
If anyone wants to check it out, it was in the South end of the park, near South Ferry, on a large lawn that had been roped off.
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