WhenToBird

Meleagris gallopavo · Phasianidae

Wild Turkey: When and Where to See It

Adult male Wild Turkey
Photo: Dan Vickers, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Wild Turkey reaches Illinois first, around the second week of December, and Minnesota last, around the second week of April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.7% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.6% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.5% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.6% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.6% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.7% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.8% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.9% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.2% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.4% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.7% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.3% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.9% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 4.6% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.8% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.9% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 5.0% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 4.8% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 4.5% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 4.0% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.5% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.1% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.8% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.7% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.6% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.4% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.4% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.3% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.5% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.4% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 2.4% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 2.4% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.5% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 2.6% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.5% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.4% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 2.3% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.2% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.0% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 2.0% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.9% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.8% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.8% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.7% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.7% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.8% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.9% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.7% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
South CarolinaSummer visitorJan 8-14Apr 8-14Nov 8-142.8%
New MexicoSummer visitorJan 15-21Apr 22-30Oct 22-313.7%
AlabamaSummer visitorJan 15-21Apr 1-7Jan 1-71.8%
District of ColumbiaSummer visitorJan 15-21Apr 22-30Dec 22-312.1%
New JerseySummer visitorJan 22-31Apr 22-30Oct 1-75.2%
OklahomaSummer visitorJan 22-31Apr 8-14Jan 1-74.5%
CaliforniaSummer visitorFeb 1-7Apr 8-14Nov 8-146.5%
New YorkSummer visitorFeb 1-7Apr 22-30Oct 8-144.6%
OregonSummer visitorFeb 1-7Apr 8-14Jan 1-73.7%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorFeb 1-7Apr 22-30Oct 8-144.6%
VirginiaSummer visitorFeb 1-7Apr 15-21Jan 8-144.2%
NebraskaSummer visitorFeb 8-14May 1-7Oct 15-2111%
MassachusettsSummer visitorFeb 8-14May 1-7Nov 1-79.9%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorFeb 8-14May 8-14Nov 8-148.0%
ConnecticutSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 22-30Oct 15-215.7%
MissouriSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 15-21Oct 8-146.7%
North CarolinaSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 8-14Oct 1-74.6%
GeorgiaSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 8-14Nov 8-142.1%
KentuckySummer visitorFeb 15-21Apr 15-21Nov 1-77.1%
IndianaSummer visitorFeb 15-21Apr 15-21Oct 8-144.7%
NevadaSummer visitorFeb 22-28Aug 22-31Nov 1-71.2%
MarylandSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 15-21Oct 8-143.4%
North DakotaSummer visitorMar 15-21May 8-14Feb 15-215.1%
DelawareSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 22-30Oct 15-213.6%
TennesseeAll year, most in springMar 22-31Apr 15-21May 22-319.4%
West VirginiaAll year, most in springMar 22-31Apr 15-21May 15-216.9%
MaineAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 22-30May 22-318.9%
MichiganAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 22-30Jun 1-78.3%
New HampshireAll year, most in springApr 1-7May 1-7Jun 1-79.5%
IowaAll year, most in springApr 1-7May 8-14Jun 1-77.3%
VermontAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 22-30May 8-147.3%
MinnesotaAll year, most in springApr 8-14May 8-14Jun 1-78.8%
MontanaSummer visitorAug 1-7Apr 8-14May 22-315.1%
ArkansasSummer visitorSep 15-21Apr 8-14Aug 8-141.3%
KansasSummer visitorDec 1-7Apr 15-21Nov 8-146.3%
OhioSummer visitorDec 1-7Apr 15-21Oct 8-144.2%
IllinoisSummer visitorDec 8-14Apr 22-30Nov 8-142.4%
ArizonaSummer visitorDec 15-21May 8-14Sep 1-77.5%
MississippiSummer visitorDec 15-21Apr 8-14Oct 15-211.6%
FloridaWinter visitorJan 15-21Mar 15-21Nov 8-142.6%
WyomingWinter visitorJul 15-21Dec 22-31Jun 8-143.5%
TexasWinter visitorAug 8-14Mar 22-31Jun 22-302.3%
WisconsinYear-round–May 1-7–12%
South DakotaYear-round–May 8-14–7.4%
IdahoYear-round–Apr 15-21–5.5%
ColoradoYear-round–May 8-14–3.4%
UtahYear-round–Apr 15-21–3.3%
HawaiiYear-round–Mar 15-21–2.1%
WashingtonYear-round–Apr 22-30–1.4%

Winter visitor in: Wyoming, Texas

Summer visitor in: Nevada, Montana, Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio