Laura Palermo is a science and math educator. She earned degrees from Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Asheville, NC. This is a contributor-submitted Voices piece. Want to join the conversation? We invite you to write for us. Learn how to share your voice here.

In honor of my 15 year old son going vegetarian this year, I am not cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving 2020. Here are five questions about turkeys au naturale, with answers from a friendly local science and math teacher.

1. We have turkeys here?!
Friends and relatives who are not familiar with this area are often surprised when they hear stories of our beloved neighborhood turkeys. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission reports that Buncombe County had ten to 14 turkeys per square mile in 2015. We did not have turkeys in the backyard in the suburb of Baltimore where I grew up. And I didn’t see any in my years in Durham and Chapel Hill. I had only seen turkeys in grocery stores and plated for dinner before moving to this wonderful part of the world. Thanks to restoration programs, turkey populations have increased in the US. Our happy Asheville turkey memories include waiting for poults to cross the road at Biltmore Estate, driving slowly alongside hens strolling on the shoulder Beverly Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway, our cat oblivious to the dozen turkeys in our backyard, and a poult who, with an adorable baby gobble-peep noise, sweetly announced his arrival on our back deck.

2. Can turkeys fly?
Yes! That’s how turkeys reach tree branches during the day to escape predators and at night to sleep. And flying is how they make me look twice when I see their huge bodies unexpectedly airborne in the neighbor’s yard. Turkeys can also run and swim.

3. Are turkeys fierce?
The turkeys I have encountered on morning runs have been pretty chill. I don’t bother them, though. Some people are not fans of turkeys because they can damage gardens and behave aggressively in some cases. There are several strategies to deter turkeys from hanging out on your property if you don’t want them hanging around. But so far, we have enjoyed watching our neighborhood turkeys from a safe distance and letting them forage for food in our yard.

4. What is a wild turkey family like?
Meleagris gallopavo hens live in social groups and raise poults who are born in the springtime. Male wild turkeys do not help raise their chicks. Turkey moms lay eggs on the ground and tend them in nests, protect the poults when they hatch, and raise them for several months. Grown up male turkeys form their own groups.

5. Where can we learn more?

The National Wild Turkey Federation describes turkey behavior in the wild.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provides information specific to our state’s wild turkeys.

Nature features a detailed blog posting about turkey social behavior.

The Cornell Lab’s app, Merlin Bird ID, can help you identify birds in our area, as well as learn more about turkeys.

The Humane Society of the United States offers strategies to deter turkeys from your property.

Animal Diversity Web gives a quick overview of facts about turkeys.