Here are some clues for a Thanksgiving tracking mystery!
The first clue is scat with a whitewash of uric acid (the concentrated form of nitrogenous avian waste). These birds have distinctive male and female scat – spiral-cone-shaped female droppings and j-shaped male droppings.
The next clue is the white and brown striped wing feathers and brown and black striped tail feathers.
The last clue is the track: three long toes forward and one short back toe (which usually registers as a small nail impression). The tracks measure around 3.5 – 5 inches long by 4 – 5 inches wide. The metatarsal pad also shows up in some tracks as a round imprint in the center of the foot where the three front toes come together.
There may be many tracks! Our mystery animals winter in groups, sometimes numbering over 200, foraging on acorns, beechnuts, evergreen ferns, tree buds, burdock seeds, crabapples, or agricultural grains. Who are they?
Happy turkey tracking!