The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an adaptable omnivore found across North America. They possess a diverse diet, utilizing a wide range of available food sources to meet their nutritional needs. The simple answer to whether they eat grass is yes, but this plant matter is just one component of a broader foraging strategy that changes throughout the year. Turkeys consume hundreds of different food items, allowing them to thrive in diverse environments from forests to agricultural fields.
Primary Foraging: The Role of Grasses and Greens
Turkeys consume grasses and other herbaceous plants, primarily seeking out the tender, newly emerged shoots and blades. This green forage is particularly sought after in the early spring when other food sources may be scarce, providing the birds with necessary fiber and vitamins. They do not graze like cattle, but rather use their beaks to clip or pluck the soft tips of the plants.
The most significant contribution of grasses often comes from the seeds and seed heads of mature plants. Turkeys actively forage for grass seeds, such as those from panicgrass and crabgrass, which offer concentrated carbohydrates. They also consume the seeds of sedges and forbs found in grassy clearings and open areas.
Seasonal Shifts in the Turkey Diet
The turkey’s diet is driven by nutritional requirements and food availability, making the consumption of grass highly dependent on the season. In the spring and summer, the dietary focus shifts toward high-protein sources, especially insects and other invertebrates. Newly hatched turkey poults, for example, rely on a diet that is up to 90% animal matter in their first week to support rapid growth.
Adult hens prioritize protein during the breeding season, though green vegetation remains part of their intake. As summer progresses into fall, the diet transitions to focus on high-energy foods, known as mast, which include acorns, pecans, and beechnuts. These nuts provide the fat and carbohydrate content necessary for building energy reserves before winter. Grasses and residual seeds act as a secondary food source when preferred, higher-calorie items are unavailable.
The Turkey’s Digestive Adaptations
Since turkeys lack teeth, they rely on specialized anatomical features to process the tough, fibrous plant material, including grasses and hard seeds. Food is first rapidly consumed and stored in the crop, a pouch located near the throat that acts as a temporary holding area. This allows the bird to eat large quantities quickly before retreating to a safer location to digest the meal.
From the crop, the food moves to the gizzard, a thick-walled, muscular organ that serves as the bird’s mechanical grinder. The gizzard physically crushes and pulverizes the contents, which can include fibrous grass blades and hard-shelled nuts. To achieve this, the turkey swallows small stones, sand, and pebbles, collectively known as grit or gastroliths. The gizzard uses these abrasive stones, with a force that can reach 400 pounds per square inch, to effectively break down the coarse vegetation and seeds into digestible components.