As incidents of aggressive wild turkey behavior in Bergen County seem to be on the rise, many residents are not sure what to make of this strange threat from these angry birds. Even a member of the mybergen.com team recently had her car surrounded by a group of turkeys as she attempted to navigate a quiet street in Upper Saddle River. What the heck is happening here? Could this be payback for generations of Thanksgiving feasts?
Recent Behavior of Wild Turkeys in Bergen County
According to the United States Humane Society, wild turkeys tend to be more aggressive during mating, which runs from mid-March through June. Related activities may begin as early as mid-February, and late nesting attempts may occur well into the summer.
Gobbling, strutting, drumming, and fighting among males increase as spring progresses. During the mating season, male turkeys often act aggressively towards reflective surfaces, including windows, automobile mirrors, wheels, or polished car doors, thinking that their reflection is an intruding male turkey. The reflectivity of the window, vehicle, or other shiny objects may need to be changed or covered up in some fashion to stop the turkey from pecking at it.
This antisocial and downright aggressive behavior may be the best explanation for the recent rash of wild turkey incidents that Bergen County residents have reported over the past few weeks.
Why Here?
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the ideal wild turkey habitat includes a scattering of trees, a mixture of plants, like dogwood and wild cherry, that provide food and cover. Turkeys make good use of green plants and seed heads found in pastures, fields, backyards, roadsides, and elsewhere. These areas also provide the insects needed to obtain the high quantity of protein necessary for their first few weeks of growth. Turkeys need water almost daily and must have easy access to permanent water sources.
Wild Turkeys in Bergen County: How to Avoid Attacks
The best defense against aggressive turkeys is to prevent the birds from becoming habituated in the first place by showing them who the boss is and being bold to them.
Everyone in your neighborhood should do the same. Each turkey should view all humans in your community as dominant in the pecking order and respond to them as superiors rather than subjects. Believe it or not, habituated turkeys may attempt to dominate or attack people that the birds view as subordinates.
Wild Turkey Population
America’s wild turkeys almost went extinct in 1930 from the loss of forest habitat and hunting. Recovery efforts, including those by the Wild Turkey Federation, have been successful over the past 80 years.
There are now an estimated 7 million wild turkeys in North and Central America. According to recent estimates from the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, the state’s population is now estimated at 20,000 – 23,000 turkeys, with what appears to be a large population living right here in Bergen County!
Read more about wild turkeys.
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