Turkeys were first domesticated in south-central Mexico around 800 B.C. and brought to Europe in the 16th century.

A baby turkey is called a poult or chick.

Wild turkeys have been clocked at speeds close to 55 m.p.h. when flying for short bursts -- usually to avoid predators.

About ten percent of an adult wild turkey's diet consists of small animals, including insects such as stink bugs, grasshoppers, and ground beetles, as well as snails, slugs, worms, and spiders.

In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin lamented the choice of the bald eagle as the national bird and wrote: "The Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

A turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

The "Turkey Trot" was named for the short, jerky steps of the turkey, but the fad fell quickly out of favor as the foxtrot, a much more conservative dance step, rose to popularity in 1914.

While fighting, commercial turkeys often peck and pull at the snood, a fleshy protuberance on the forehead, causing damage and bleeding. This often leads to further injurious pecking by other turkeys and sometimes results in cannibalism. To prevent this, some farmers cut off the snood when the chick is young, a process known as desnooding.

The beard of a male turkey grows about 4 to 5 inches per year, so a 2-year-old gobbler will have a typical beard of about 9 inches.

Sleeping in trees provides protection from predators that roam and can see at night. They fly up to roost at dusk, and fly down at dawn to begin their daily rituals.