The turkey was the largest ground-nesting bird that the European settlers found when they arrived in the New World. It can live in a variety of habitats all across North America. Benjamin Franklin lobbied for the turkey to become the national bird of the United States.
Characteristics: Turkeys are large birds, weighing up to 20 pounds. They have large muscular breasts and long, strong legs. One of the most eye-catching features of turkeys are the red, knobby growths of skin that cover parts of the birds' heads and necks.