Putting a spotlight on turkeys in the month after Thanksgiving might seem strange, but first off, there aren’t any recipes here. Second, the wild turkey we are discussing is Meleagris gallopavo, not Butterball, as Ben Franklin is said to have once pushed for designation as a national bird.
According to reports from The New York Times and other national publications, as well as from some San Juan Islands, they appear to be expanding their incursion into human-inhabited areas. You quickly learn that while some people love these awkward yet beautiful birds, others hate them when you talk to locals about turkeys.
This raises the blowin’-in-the-wind question: How many times must wildlife annoy us before we call it a pest?
The turkeys of the Lopez and Orcas islands, as well as San Juan before they vanished, are native to the eastern United States, but they are officially free-roaming wild breeds with occasional domesticated escapees.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife brought them to the islands in 1980 for hunting, along with the graceful golden pheasant (which is still occasionally sighted) and the now-extinct Chilean tinamou. “The tinamous just hung around the end of our driveway or wandered up and down the roadside — pretty lame hunting targets! Some of them were roadkill,” remembered longtime Lopezian Wendy Mickle. ” .
But turkeys flourished on Orcas and the southern tip of Lopez, to the point where they could be called synanthropes—wild animals that, like pigeons or raccoons, have adapted to live alongside humans.
On the Facebook page You Know You’re From Orcas Island When. Turkeys are “all over the island,” according to Orcas resident Tami Griffin, even though some rogue domesticated birds seem to have artificially increased their population.
On Lopez, turkeys are part of daily life in some neighborhoods, sometimes to a startling degree.
One afternoon about five years ago, I was peacefully relaxing in my hammock next to my driveway when I was startled by a wild turkey. He flailed and buzzed past my face, making a loud squawking sound. I screamed,” recalled Leanne Morrow Thomas, who lives on Lopez’s midsection, on Facebook’s Lopez Island Community Board. “I never saw him again; it seems that I didn’t make a good impression on any other neighborhood turkeys.” ” ”.
There is a growing threat to the existence of the majestic whales and playful dolphins that inhabit the Turkish seas. These amazing animals are suffering greatly from overhunting and plastic pollution, endangering both their future and the health of marine ecosystems.
A Shadow Over Paradise
The waters of Turkey, once teeming with cetaceans, are now witnessing a decline in their populations. The number of dolphins and whales in the region was shrouded in mystery until recently, but dedicated researchers have shed light on their plight.
Unveiling the Hidden Truth
Arda Tonay, a prominent marine biologist and Vice President of the Turkish Sea Research Foundation (TÜDAV), has led the charge in revealing the true state of cetacean populations in Turkey. Through meticulous research and collaboration with international scientists they have documented the presence of 11 cetacean species in Turkish waters, including the fin whale the cachalot whale, and the bottlenose dolphin.
A Grim Reality
The findings of these studies paint a concerning picture. With only 1,700 adult fin whales left in the Mediterranean, the fin whale—the second largest whale in the world—is in danger of going extinct. The population of bottlenose whales, a species that has garnered attention due to recent strandings in Cyprus, is also in decline.
The Culprits: Overhunting and Plastic Pollution
The primary threats to these cetaceans are overhunting and plastic pollution. Deep-sea fishing nets claim the lives of thousands of puffing pigs, the smallest cetacean in the Black Sea, each year. Plastic pollution, a pervasive problem in the world’s oceans also poses a significant threat with dolphins and whales often ingesting plastic debris, mistaking it for food.
A Call to Action
The plight of whales and dolphins in Turkish waters demands immediate action. Conservation efforts must be intensified to protect these vulnerable species. Tighter fishing regulations and heightened public awareness of the perils of plastic pollution are essential measures to protect them in the future.
A glimmer of hope
Despite the challenges there are glimmers of hope. The closure of the Dolphin Park in Marmaris a controversial attraction that kept dolphins in captivity, signals a shift in attitudes towards these intelligent creatures. Additionally, initiatives like the “Adopt a Mediterranean Beach” project are tackling plastic pollution head-on.
The fate of whales and dolphins in Turkish waters hangs in the balance. It is a race against time to protect these magnificent creatures and ensure their continued presence in the region’s rich marine ecosystem. By working together, we can turn the tide and create a future where these aquatic ambassadors can thrive once again.
Aggressive, voracious … and cute
“The turkeys that were released on Orcas in the eighties were a pain. The male turkey was very aggressive, especially in the spring, so I was afraid to feed the chickens. Vicki Willits Bartram from Orcas wrote on You Know You’re From Orcas Island When. ” “They would roost on the antennas for the TV and break them. My family was terrified by the group of turkeys that woke them up in the morning when they were visiting from the city. [The birds] pooped all over our steps and yard. ”.
In a tongue-in-cheek jab, Bartram added, “I enjoyed Thanksgiving.”
Others worry about the overall environmental impact of large numbers.
Lopez resident Tony Angell described in an email a flock of thirty turkeys that were near his home. If the birds’ diet was examined, would it “show to what extent they eat the eggs and flightless young of ground nesting species, like quail”? he questioned. ” …Turkeys are voracious feeders, and may well be impacting populations of native garter snakes and salamanders. ”.
However, Snohomish County resident Dennis Barci, an enthusiastic hunter with close ties to Lopez, played down such worries. “Eggs and baby birds, that’s a stretch,” he said, conceding, “young garter snakes, maybe. Barci noted that this breed mostly eats berries, seeds, and insects, despite the fact that he has only worked with turkeys on the mainland.
What about farmers? Might turkeys attract their ire? Apparently, it depends on the crop.
Sherrie Brentson, a Lopez resident, posted on the Lopez Island Then and Now Facebook page, saying, “I can only say they are pretty tough to fence out.” “Having had a small orchard that was devastated by turkeys. ” .
Nevertheless, Derek Eisel of Lopez’s Watmough Bay Farm, which is near Angell’s land and produces produce in addition to goats and chickens, claimed in an email that he hasn’t seen any effects from turkeys on his vegetable gardens, citing the “cute little fuzzy chicks” as evidence. ” ”.
People in Lopez’s north end and throughout San Juan Island expressed a desire for more turkeys, even though those living in turkey-rich areas disagreed on the extent of the nuisance caused by these birds.
“Back in the early and mid ’90s, I would ride my bike to Roche Harbor down the Rouleau Road hill-Limestone Point intersection and almost ran into those suckers on that corner,” Steven Winterfeld wrote on the San Juan Islands Bulletin Board’s Facebook page. ” .
Rhonda Johnson commented, “Haven’t seen one in 20 years, but they used to walk around town. I’ve heard there are still a few on Mount Dallas. ”.
According to Attilio Galli, “Want to see the turkeys back? Reduce the fox population and establish some safe areas,” beautiful but ferocious foxes in San Juan were to blame. ” ”.
Orca, Orc, Whale killer in Turkey, Alanya. Orki w Morzu Śródziemnym.
FAQ
What kind of whales live in Turkey?
What countries do killer whales live in?
Can you see whales in Turkey?
Are there killer whales in the Mediterranean?
Are Orcas a whale?
Despite being called killer whales, orcas actually belong to the dolphin family Delphinidae. They’re the only species in their genus, but their closest relatives are dolphin species from around Australia and South East Asia like the Irrawaddy dolphin. So orcas are dolphins not whales. Why are orcas sometimes called killer whales?
How many types of orcas are there?
Orcas or killer whales have a cosmopolitan distribution and several distinct populations or types have been documented or suggested. Three to five types of orcas may be distinct enough to be considered different races, subspecies, or possibly even species (see Species problem ).
Are Orcas a cosmopolitan species?
A cosmopolitan species, they are found in diverse marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Orcas are apex predators with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. This includes a variety of fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals and other dolphins and whales.
Why are Orcas called Killer whales?
Orcas ( Orcinus orca) are often called killer whales, even though they almost never attack humans. In fact, the killer whale name was originally “whale killer,” as ancient sailors saw them hunting in groups to take down large whales, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) .