Now that it is November, it is time to answer that 390 year old question that has been haunting us.

What birds did the pilgrims eat on Thanksgiving?

This was a question someone posted on a web site. Unfortunately, it didn’t load correctly, so I went on a quest to answer it myself.

According to the web site of Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth (an excellent museum), there are only two written records about that fateful day in 1621. They describe what was eaten by the 90 Native Americans and British settlers. In one, there is a mere mention of several men going “fowling” or bird hunting, but no specific type of bird is mentioned. The other record, by William Bradford, also mentions eating water fowl, but doesn’t specifically mention any type of bird or goose. Only one bird is mentioned. Can you guess what it is?

I know--you were expecting a surprise answer. In this case, there are no tricks. The bird is, of course, the turkey.

The turkeys that the pilgrims ate were wild turkeys. Today, most people eat domestic or farmed turkey. Although the turkey you may find in your grocer’s freezer is descended from the wild turkey, years of breeding have changed it quite a bit. Farm turkeys of today have huge breasts (for all the white meat fans out there) and the males are so heavy they can no longer mate normally. Female turkeys are artificially inseminated.

Contrary to popular belief, turkeys are not stupid. Those that open their mouths in a rainstorm have a genetic disorder unrelated to their intelligence. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. He felt that the bald eagle was an immoral ne’er do well of a bird, and it’s easy to see why. They were too lazy to fish for themselves, for heaven’s sake, and were terrible bullies to ospreys. Even worse, they were attacked by kingbirds. The turkey, on the other hand, was brave and worthy and willing to fight the redcoats. It has been suggested Franklin was not entirely serious when he made these points to his daughter in a letter, but even if he were kidding, it’s great that the turkey had such a great defender. (I can’t say I’m sorry the eagle won the national bird contest, though. It would seem odd to see turkeys on various government offices and documents.)

Wild turkeys are thinner and grayer than their domestic cousins. The first time you see one, you may not recognize it as a turkey. . I would say they resemble dull female peacocks more than that picture you colored back in first grade. Males are larger and more stereotypically “turkey-ish” than females, but they are, in my experience, also much rarer to see.

In general, though, turkeys are not hard birds to add to your life list. They are used to people and are found in wooded suburban areas within their range. I even saw one in Jersey City’s Liberty State Park a couple of times. In fact, my late dog Scooter just missed having an early Thanksgiving one October. Fortunately, the hen he was chasing got away.

There are six subspecies of turkey in North America. Their range extends from the East Coast all the way to the Rocky Mountains. There are also some on the west coast, although I am not sure if they are native or are introduced. Baby turkeys are called poults. While wild turkeys were once in trouble population-wise, today there are 7 million turkeys, and they are once again hunted legally. Canada is in the process of reintroducing them into certain provinces, where the population was nearly eliminated due to habitat loss and over hunting.

So, if you eat turkey this Thanksgiving, relax and enjoy the fact that you really are eating what was eaten almost 400 years ago. It’s not a myth. The Pilgrims and Native Americans that enjoyed the first Thanksgiving so many years ago really did eat turkey.