Turkeys belong to the family Meleagrididae. Turkeys were bred for their plumage-only until the early 1900s, when the domesticated turkey became a favored meat.
Bodies are oval and dark in color, usually brown or black.
Tail feathers can be raised, at which time a colorful plumage fans out from the backside of this bird. The legs of the turkey are long and thin. These distinct characteristics make it easy to differentiate between the sexes. Domestic turkeys are generally much larger than their wild counterpart due mainly to feeding habits and medications of breeders. Domesticated turkeys are about twice the size of wild turkeys.