# What Do Wild Turkeys Eat?

> What wild turkeys eat: Omnivore — acorns, seeds, insects, and berries, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Forests and fields of North America.

- **Species:** Wild Turkey (*Meleagris gallopavo*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore — acorns, seeds, insects, and berries
- **Habitat:** Forests and fields of North America
- **Lifespan:** 3–10 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) running; strong short flight
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/turkey/what-do-turkey-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/turkey/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large ground-dwelling bird native to the forests and fields of North America and the ancestor of the familiar farmyard turkey. Toms can weigh up to 8 kg and are known for their bald, colourful heads and fanned tail displays. They forage on acorns, seeds, insects, and berries, run at up to 40 km/h, and manage strong short bursts of flight. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Appearance and displays

The wild turkey is a big, heavy-bodied bird with dark, iridescent feathers that gleam bronze and green in sunlight. Males, called toms or gobblers, have a bald head that can flush red, white, and blue, a fleshy snood over the bill, and a dangling wattle at the throat. In courtship a tom fans his broad tail, puffs out his body feathers, and struts while gobbling to attract hens and warn off rivals. Females, or hens, are smaller and more drably coloured for camouflage while nesting.

## Help protect the Wild Turkey

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/turkey/what-do-turkey-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.