Common Ground Birds

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Wild Turkey

·        Is native to North America

·        Adult Wild Turkeys have a small, featherless, bluish head; a red throat in males; long reddish-orange to greyish-blue legs; and a dark-brown to black body.

·        The head has fleshy growths called caruncles; in excited turkeys, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, becoming engorged with blood.

·        Males have red wattles on the throat and neck. Each foot has four toes, and males have rear spurs on their lower legs.

·        Turkeys have between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers.

American Woodcock

·        Adults have short pinkish legs and a very long straight bill with an articulated tip.

·        The body is patterned cinnamon on top and a lighter brown underneath. They have large eyes located high in the head. The wings are rounded.

·        Their breeding habitat is wet wooded areas in eastern North America. They nest on the ground in an open wooded location.

·        These birds forage by probing in soft soil in thickets, usually well-hidden from sight. They mainly eat earthworms and insects, also plant material.

Chuck-Will’s-Widow

·        It is found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods.

·        Its common name derives from its continuous, repetitive song that is often heard at night.

·        Generally resembling a Whip-poor-will, it has mottled brownish underparts, a buff throat, reddish-brown feathers lined with black, and brown and white patterning on head and chest, differing from the gray and black of its more common cousin.

·        It eats primarily insects, particular those active at night such as moths, beetles, and winged ants.

Whip-Poor-Will

·        The Whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen.

·        Adults have mottled plumage: the upperparts are grey, black and brown; the lower parts are grey and black.  They have a very short bill and a black throat.

·        Males have a white patch below the throat and white tips on the outer tail feathers; in the female, these parts are light brown.

·        The Whip-poor-will's breeding habitat is deciduous or mixed woods across southeastern Canada, eastern and southwestern United States, and Central America.

Northern Bobwhite

May or May Not Be Located in the Piedmont

• The Northern Bobwhite is divided into 22 different subspecies. Females show little variation among the different forms, but the males can vary dramatically
• The name derives from their characteristic call
• Habitat degradation threatens wild populations, so it is propagated in captivity in large numbers for release on hunting preserves or natural areas as required by US wildlife agencies