1. Family/ Order/ Scientific Name Frequency of Occurrence- n (%)
Spring and Summer Diet Analysis of Rio Grande Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) in the Northern Rolling Plains Bradley W. Kubecka1, Becky Ruzicka2, Dale Rollins1 1Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, 1262 U.S. Highway 180 W Rotan, TX 79546, USA 2Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Dallas, TX 75252, USA
Introduction
Results
Hernandez
Figure 1
The Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia; hereafter wild turkey) is known for its opportunistic and nomadic feeding habits (Glover and Bailey 1949). Although many studies have been conducted to analyze diets of wild turkey across their range, few formal diet studies have been conducted in Texas. Most were restricted to south and central Texas (Beck and Beck1955, Beasom and Pattee 1978). Prior to this study, only one investigation of wild turkey diets has been conducted in the Texas Panhandle (Peterson 2007). Most studies have exclusively examined hunter-shot specimens collected during the fall and spring hunting seasons without data describing diets during nesting season. Anecdotally, Stoddard (1931:191) suggested wild turkey had a “fondness for quail eggs” and Hernandez et al. (1997) photo-captured tom turkeys destroying simulated ground nests (Fig. 1). Combined with the increase of wild turkeys in recent decades, this led to a colloquial belief popular in the Midwest that wild turkey are predators of quail and could, therefore, be contributing to quail decline. Beasom and Pattee (1978) further suggested turkey hens consumed 9x more calcium substrates during laying season than the rest of the year combined.
Figure 3
Table 1. Top 20 Most Observed Food Items in Wild Turkeys
Common Name
Food Class
Family/ Order/ Scientific Name
Frequency of Occurrence- n (%)
Project total, n=93
Grasshoppers
Arthropod
Orthoptera
51 (55)
Corn
Supplement
49 (53)
True Bugs
Hemiptera
35 (40)
Milo
34 (37)
Skunkbush Sumac
Plant Material
Rhus aromatica
31 (33)
Beetles
Coleoptera
29 (33)
Grasses
Poaceae
29 (31)
Caterpillars
Lepidoptera
27 (31)
Wheat
24 (26)
Russian Thistle
Salsola iberica
21 (23)
Netleaf Hackberry
Celtis leavigata
15 (16)
Unidentified Forb
N/A
14 (15)
Rushes
Equisetum spp.
8 (9)
Cicadas, etc.
Homoptera
7 (8)
Protein supplement
Erect Dayflower
Commelina erecta
6 (6)
Wasps, etc.
Hymenoptera
5 (6)
Carelessweed
Amaranthus spp.
5 (5)
Snail
Other
Mollusca
American Elm
Ulmus americana
3 (3)
Figure 2
Figure 4
Objectives
Describe diet of wild turkeys during nesting season
Determine presence and frequency of quail eggs, or chicks, in wild turkey diets
We hypothesized gender-specific diets of wild turkeys during laying season would differ, because females assumedly require higher calcium intake for egg production
No evidence suggested consumption of any part of quail by wild turkey
No significant difference detected between sexes in occurrence of any food class (Fig. 3)
Arthropods were most the frequently consumed food item (Fig. 4 and Table 1)
Only females had food items in crops designated as snails, bones, or lizards
Discussion
Methodology
Our study does not support the hypothesis that wild turkey have a fondness for quail.
The study site received an average amount of rainfall during our collection period.
Abundance of sympatric wild turkey and quail was high- intuitively increasing the probability of the proposed unusual feeding habit to occur.
Our results compliment Beasom and Pattee (1978), but we were unable to quantify a significant effect due to a temporally and numerically limited sample.
We collected 93 specimens [33 males, 60 females- all AHY] across 27,530 ha in Roberts Co., TX, USA (Fig. 2) from May- July 2014 (concurrent with northern bobwhite and wild turkey nesting seasons)
Collection times coordinated before roosting and after presumed feeding times ( and hrs)
Crops and ventriculi macroscopically analyzed for presence of food stuffs: plant matter, arthropods, supplement, and other with subgroups of arthropods analyzed to order and plants to species level.
Chi-Squared test for difference in diets between sexes; α=0.05
Literature Cited
Beasom, S. L., and O. H. Pattee Utilization of snails by Rio Grande wild turkey hens. Journal of Wildlife Management 42:
Beck, J. R., and D. O. Beck A method for nutritional evaluation of wildlife foods. Journal of Wildlife Management 19:
Glover, F. A., and R. W. Bailey Wild turkey foods in west Virginia. Journal of Wildlife Management 13:
Hernandez, F., D. Rollins, R. Cantu Evaluating evidence to identify ground-nest predators in west Texas. Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:
Petersen, B. E Rio Grande wild turkey diets in the Texas panhandle. Thesis, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Stoddard, H. L The bobwhite quail: its habits, preservation, and increase. Scribner’s, New York, New York, USA.
Acknowledgments: Mesa Vista Ranch, Keith Boone, Chad Goertz, Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation, Tarleton State University, Texas Parks and Wildlife