Thanksgiving is coming, and foodies must be the first to think of turkey. What do you know about turkeys? Do you know it can fly?

1. Wild turkeys can fly.

The turkey looks so big and clumsy that it seems unlikely to fly into the blue sky. However, according to the National Wildlife Federation, a wild turkey can reach a speed of 89 kilometers per hour in a short flight. But the domestic turkey can't, because it is to be served on the table, so it is too fat.

2. Look at the men and women in the feces

As long as you see the feces left by the turkey on the ground, you can know whether the turkey is male or female. The poop of a male turkey is J-shaped, which is larger and straighter than that of a female turkey and looks closer to a spiral.

3. Wild turkeys can climb trees

We usually see turkeys that feed on acorns and other things that fall to the ground, so it is difficult to photograph them foraging in trees. But they like to sleep in trees. Because of their poor eyesight, they usually sleep at dusk and return to the ground when the first sunshine appears on the horizon.

4. The male turkey's head can change color.

The head of a male turkey is not only brightly colored, but also often changes color. Although male turkeys have little hair on their heads, the color of their heads will change between red, white and blue during mating season, sometimes even every few seconds. Generally speaking, male turkeys are usually green, copper, gold and red except the head (attracting the opposite sex), while female turkeys are generally brown or gray (easy to hide, especially in the nest).

5. Digestion depends on stones

This is similar to ordinary chickens because they all have no teeth. When eating, you need to "eat" some pebbles and swallow them into the "sandbag" in your stomach. Sandbags are the common digestive organs of all birds, because birds have no teeth and must use small stones to help break down food.

In fact, turkey has two stomachs: the glandular stomach (also known as the forestomach) softens food through gastric juice, and the sand sac grinds food for easy digestion.

6. Only male turkeys can cackle.

Male turkey has a proper noun in English called "gobbler", which means "clucking person (chicken)". It is precisely because only male turkeys can cackle that this proper noun has come into being. During the breeding season, every male turkey will make a unique call to attract the opposite sex. Of course, female turkeys also make different sounds, but their sounds are more like birds' "cooing" or "chirping".

(Compile: Xiao Ben; via LiveScience)