The 2019 State of the Birds report shows nearly 30 percent of all North American birds have disappeared in the last 50 years with steep declines in every habitat. We must prioritize protecting America’s bird populations, and one species in particular shows us that conservation success is entirely possible. Turkeys are more than just a staple of Thanksgiving. The history of turkey hunting and conservation in the United States dates back to the 1800s. The turkey’s success story highlights what it takes for conservation efforts to save a species — both time and investment. When Europeans first arrived in North America, the wild turkey population was abundant. They became a staple food source for the settlers and were hunted all over the East Coast. By 1813, however, Connecticut’s wild turkeys were gone, and Vermont followed, with no wild turkeys by 1842. At the turn of the 20th century, overhunting and deforestation caused wild turkey populations to plummet, and by 1920, turkeys were no longer found in 18 of the original 39 states. In the 1930s, U.S. turkey populations hit a historic low of less than 30,000, and things were not looking good for the future of America’s classic game bird. It was not until states began to enact and enforce hunting regulations that turkey populations began to recover. Hunting license fees provided states with the funds to hire law enforcement and biological staff to manage populations of wild turkeys and other species decimated by commercial and unregulated hunting. Turkeys! A Success Story That’s Nothing to Gobble At • The National Wildlife Federation Blog
