With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week, turkey has been on everyone's mind! Most people are thinking about the turkey they are going to eat for dinner (and all the yummy sides too)! But did you know that there is a group of wild turkeys that make their home here at Cantigny? These interesting birds can be seen all over the park, but do have a preference for the area in the back of the park near our Administrative Building. Sometimes they like to block cars making it a challenge for employees to go home at night!
Wild turkeys live in the woods. They need large trees to provide food and shelter. At night, the turkeys will roost in the lower branches of trees. Yes, wild turkeys can fly! Turkeys will eat whatever they can find, but really enjoy insects, berries, seeds, grains, and nuts. Male wild turkeys are called "toms" or "gobblers" and can weigh up to 21 pounds. Females are called "hens" and weigh about 10 pounds.
Next time you visit Cantigny see if you can find our wild turkey friends and tell them, "Gobble Gobble!"
As you and your family get ready for the holiday, here are a few fun turkey crafts to try at home:
Leaf Turkey
http://www.holiday-kids-crafts.com/thanksgiving-crafts-fall-leaf-turkey.html
This is a fun fall project to work on together. Go outside, collect some leaves, get your glue and paper out, and you are ready to make a cute turkey!
Here's a few more ideas for great Thanksgiving/turkey crafts:
http://www.preschool-learning-and-crafts.com/preschool-thanksgiving-crafts.html
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
