70 ] Birds of Farm and Zoo 



turkeys? Didn't they raise them on their farms?" 



The answer is rather complex. When the early Spanish explorers 

 came to Mexico they discovered a breed of turkeys with white- 

 tipped tail feathers and took some of them back to Europe. About 

 a century later, the Pilgrims brought domesticated descendants of 

 these turkeys to eastern North America. There, as well as farther 

 to the west, turkeys with brown-tipped feathers were to be found 

 in a wild state. Thus the Pilgrims had the white-tipped turkeys 

 in captivity, but they filled their larder by hunting brown-tipped 

 ones as well. 



Apparently this Western bird was given an Oriental name in 

 the course of its travels from continent to continent. When it 

 first appeared in Europe it was confused there with the guinea 

 cock, an African bird that was imported by way of the Turkish 

 dominions. While the two kinds of birds were later distinguished 

 from each other, the name " turkey" was kept for the American 

 bird. 



The Sun Dance: Turkeys, wild or domesticated, have a curious 

 custom a "sun dance." While dawn is still faint in the sky, the 

 birds gather and begin high-stepping flip-flop motions. As they 

 jump up and down with wings lifted, the hens call quit, quit, 

 and the males accompany them with a high-keyed rattle. No 

 sooner does the sun show above the horizon than the dance ends 

 as abruptly as it began. 



DUCKS, TAME AND WILD 



In your study of wild bird life you may find that water 

 birds are on the whole less accessible than land birds. The duck 

 is an excellent representative of the water dwellers that you can 

 observe at close range by visiting a barnyard. When you see a 

 duck on shore you may have a good look at its legs, which partly 

 explain its prowess in the water. You will notice that the duck's 

 short legs are set wide apart and far back on its body. The three 

 front toes are joined by a tough skin or web. These admirably 

 adapted legs and feet make perfect paddles in the water. 



Domesticated ducks have modest needs in the way of shelter; 



