Jackson Free Press

Turkey time is here. Hallelujah. Before you dive into your towering plate of gobbler, take a minute to get to know this fabulous poultry that wows dinner tables across the nation.

Did you know:
• Male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are called hens, and hatchling turkeys are called poults, and they all travel together in a flock.
• Wild turkeys were on the verge of extinction in the 1930s, with fewer than 30,000 birds in existence in North America.
• Turkeys are native to the Western Hemisphere, with historians dating domestication back to as early as A.D. 1000.
• Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and California are the largest turkey producing states.
• L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in turkey and other foods, is a sleep-inducer; doctors used to prescribe it to patients as an anti-depressant.
• Sesame Street's Big Bird costume is made of dyed turkey feathers.
• Wild turkeys can be found in every state (including Hawaii) except for Alaska.
• Turkeys can see color, have an excellent field of vision and can hear very well even though they have no external ears.
• Benjamin Franklin was a firm supporter of the wild turkey as America's national bird instead of the bald eagle.
• Originally thought to have initiated with Harry Truman, the first official presidential turkey pardon was granted by George Bush Sr. in 1989.