CERRILLOS HILLS HISTORIC PARK

Phasianus colhicus

Native to Asia, introduced to America in 1857.

Reared locally for some years, it is not known if these birds are established in the Cerrillos Hills.

Meleagris gallopavo merriami

Of the three subspecies of gallopavo present in New Mexico -- intermedia (was sylvestre) or Rio Grande turkey, merriami or Merriam's turkey, and mexicana or Mexican or Gould's turkey -- it is the Merriam that was common to Northern New Mexico.

The way to tell the three subspecies apart is by the color of the tips of their tail feathers. Merriam's has tail feathers that end in an ash-white band, the Rio Grande's end in a chocolate-brown band, and the Gould's has a pure white band. (This photo is of Rio Grande turkeys.)

In the American Pueblo Southwest before the arrival of the Europeans, the only domesticated animals were the turkey and the dog. Pre-Columbian turkeys were most valued for their feathers, both for ceremonial uses and for the production of warm feather blankets. In the early years the Merriam subspecies was probably the dominant domesticate in Puebloan New Mexico.

Interbreeding of different varieties of turkey, especially with Eastern American strains, has made modern wild gallopavo varietal identification sometimes difficult.

The closest existing wild turkey population to the Cerrillos Hills today is in the Ortiz Mountains, about 6 miles to the south.