Wild turkeys are widespread across North America. These birds are true omnivores, consuming a wide array of both plant and animal matter. Their feeding strategy is highly varied and opportunistic, constantly adapting to local conditions. Defining a single “favorite food” is difficult, but their diet components reveal which sources provide the most energy and protein throughout the year.
The Primary Diet of Wild Turkeys
The core diet of a wild turkey falls into three major categories: hard mast, soft mast, and invertebrates. Plant matter accounts for approximately 75% of the annual diet, but the remaining 25% provides crucial nutrients.
Hard mast includes acorns, beechnuts, and hickory nuts. These nuts are packed with high energy and protein, making them the most important food source for survival, especially during colder months. Acorns are often called the “king” of turkey foods, and the birds actively seek out oak stands in the fall.
Soft mast consists of various fruits and berries, such as wild grapes, cherries, and dogwood berries, adding carbohydrates and hydration. Invertebrates supply the high levels of protein necessary for growth and reproduction. This category includes insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and spiders, along with small organisms such as snails and grubs. Newly hatched poults rely almost exclusively on these high-protein insects for rapid development. Adult turkeys also increase invertebrate consumption during spring and summer for the protein needed during breeding and molting.
Foraging Strategies and Consumption
Wild turkeys are ground foragers, spending much of their day walking and scratching to uncover food. They use their strong feet and legs to “pule,” or scratch away, leaf litter and soil to expose seeds, nuts, and invertebrates hiding beneath the surface. Turkeys often feed socially in flocks, which helps locate abundant food sources and provides safety against predators.
Once food is located, the turkey uses its beak to pick up items. These are quickly swallowed and temporarily stored in a flexible pouch called the crop. Since turkeys do not possess teeth, the food moves from the crop into the gizzard, a thick-walled, muscular organ. The gizzard acts as a powerful mill, using small, ingested stones and grit to grind up hard items like seeds and nuts into digestible particles. This internal grinding process allows the turkey to efficiently extract nutrients from tough plant material.
Seasonal Variations in Food Preference
A wild turkey’s diet shifts dramatically based on food availability throughout the seasons. In the spring, turkeys focus on tender new plant growth, such as grass shoots, buds, and flowers. Insect consumption also increases, which is necessary for hens to produce eggs and for poults to begin their insect-heavy diet.
Summer brings an abundance of soft mast, and turkeys feast on ripening berries and fruits alongside a steady intake of insects. As summer transitions into fall, the focus shifts to energy-dense foods to prepare for the winter. Hard mast, particularly acorns and beechnuts, becomes the primary food source.
During late fall and winter, wild turkeys rely on remaining hard mast, seeds, and waste grains found in agricultural fields. The high-calorie content of these nuts helps them build up fat reserves, such as the “breast sponge” in males. These reserves are used for energy during the lean winter months and the demanding spring breeding season.