Urban turkeys

This year, we have new neighbors for Thanksgiving. A nesting pair of turkeys has been roosting on our block for a bit less than a year. We don’t know where they came from, but they seem to be here to stay. 

 

Mostly, they are not a significant problem. Our cats, and the other cats in the neighborhood have kept their distance and there has been no trouble. However, there are some moments that have been battles of will -- turkey versus human. Mostly, cars need to yield to him – we call him Tom. He will move if you don’t piss him off.  If you do get his hackles up, he will squat in the road and yell at you.

So far, my neighborhood is living peaceably with him and his partner. (Yes, there are two. That means there are likely to be more in the future.) My neighborhood is not unique.  Turkeys have been moving into more urban areas for some years now.  However, there have been more serious confrontations elsewhere, in Cambridge. 

I hope everyone knows that wild turkey don't roast up all that well and that hunting is illegal in urban areas.

Have you had a run-in with a wild turkey? Does seeing turkeys in a neighborhood affect how you think of the area?