Finally, the sun has came out and we are about to start thawing out. This weather has got me all jacked up for Turkey Season, so I decided to make a thread identifying the 4 sub species of the Wild Turkey. I know I could not accurately decipher between the 4 so this may be of some help to others. (I intentionally left out the Gould's turkey, well, just because I don't like it)

1. Rio Grande Wild Turkey

The Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) is native to the central plains states and got its common name from the area in which it is found - the life giving water supply which borders the brushy scrub, arid country of the southern Great Plains, western Texas and northeastern Mexico.

It is similar in general appearance to the other subspecies of the wild turkey and similar in body size to the Florida Turkey, about four feet tall, but with disproportionately long legs. The Rio Grande turkeys are comparatively pale and copper colored. They are distinguished from the eastern and Florida subspecies by having tail feathers and tail/rump coverts tipped with yellowish-buff or tan color rather than medium or dark brown. Although there has been more variation in the shade of buff/brown in the tail feathers among Rio specimens, the color is consistently lighter than in the eastern or Florida birds and darker than the same feathers in the Merriam's or Gould's subspecies.

The Rio Grande is considered gregarious and, nomadic in some areas, having distinct summer and winter ranges. They may form large flocks of several hundred birds during the winter period. It has been known to travel distances of 10 or more miles from traditional winter roost sites to its nesting areas.

Rios apparently choose the tallest available tree, regardless of species, by a stream or in a deep valley when selecting winter roost sites. Gobblers are more likely to use winter roosts throughout the year. When suitable roost trees are scarce or nonexistent Rios roost on man-made structures like power lines, windmill towers or oil storage tanks.

2. Eastern Wild Turkey

The Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is the most widely distributed, abundant, and hunted turkey sub- species of the 5 distinct subspecies found in the United States. It inhabits roughly the eastern half of the country. The eastern wild turkey is found in the hardwood, mixed, and pine forests from New England and southern Canada to northern Florida and west to Texas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Since the eastern wild turkey ranges the farthest north, individuals can also grow to be among the largest of any of the subspecies. The adult male, called a gobbler or tom, may measure up to 4 feet tall at maturity and weigh more than 20 pounds. Its upper tail coverts, which cover the base of the long tail feathers, are tipped with chestnut brown and tail tips with dark buff or chocolate brown. In contrast, the breast feathers are tipped in black. Other body feathers are characterized by rich, metallic,copper\bronze iridescence. The primary wing feathers have white and black bars that extend from the outer edge of each all the way to the shaft.

3. Merriam's Wild Turkey

The Merriam’s wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) is found primarily in the poderosa pine, western mountain regions of the United States. Within its suspected historic range in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, the Merriam’s was relatively isolated from the other subspecies of wild turkey. Adult males are clearly distinguished from the eastern, Florida and Rio Grande by the nearly white feathers on the lower back and tail feather margins. Merriam’s closely resemble the Gould’s turkey, but its tail margin is not usually quite as pure white nor is the lighter margin of the tail tip quite as wide.

Its size is comparable to the eastern turkey, but has a blacker appearance with blue, purple and bronze reflections. The Merriam’s appears to have a white rump due to its pinkish, buff, or whitish tail coverts and tips. These tail feather tips are very conspicuous when the strutting gobbler appears against a dark background.

Merriam’s wild turkeys winter in low elevation ponderosa pine habitats and pinyon- juniper woodlands. Snow depth and duration, food availability, and the presence of suitable roost trees are key factors that determine where turkeys winter or if populations will survive. Snow conditions may force turkeys into riparian habitats well below the conifer zone. Here turkeys may use cottonwoods for roosting and may become dependent upon human-related sources of food such as barnyards, grainfields, silage pits or feedlots.

4. Osceola Wild Turkey

The Florida wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola), also referred to as the Osceola, is found only on the peninsula of Florida. This particular subspecies was first described in 1890 by W.E.D. Scott who named it for the famous Seminole Chief, Osceola, who led his tribe against the Americans in a 20-year war beginning in 1835.

It’s similar to the eastern wild turkey but is smaller and darker in color with less white veining in the wing quills. The white bars in these feathers are narrow, irregular, and broken and do not extend all the way to the feather shaft. The black bars predominate the feather. Secondary wing feathers are also dark, and when the wings are folded on the back, there are no whitish triangular patches as seen on the eastern.

Feathers of the Florida turkey show more iridescent green and red colors, with less bronze than the eastern. The dark color of the tail coverts and the large tail feathers tipped in brown is similar to the eastern, but unlike the lighter colors of the three western subspecies. Its colorations and behavior are ideal for the flat pine woods, oak and palmetto hammocks, and swamp habitats of Florida.

Here's to turkey season boys