Turkey Tactics
Some recent accounts of the strange habits and behaviour of that eccentric bird, the brush turkey, now multiplying its progeny at the Whipsnade Zoo, have misrepresented or mis- interpreted an essential detail or two. The cock bird, as we all know, scratches up (by a method of back-hacking) an immense heap of leaves. So far from allowing any young cocks to help him, he guards his heap with unvarying jealousy, and not only chases away interrupters, but would kill a young rival. Almost every detail in the hatching performance is odd, or, indeed, unique. The hens lay the eggs in a rough circle when the heap is two to three feet high. Most birds turn their eggs. Since such act is not possible in this case, the eggs are placed upright with the thin end downwards. One of the queerest examples of the cock's instinct is that he seems to know exactly when each egg hatches ; and armed with the esoteric knowledge, works promptly to release the babe, which is at once able to fend for itself. The successful hatching of this strange bird is perhaps the greatest of the achievements of Whipsnade. The handicaps both of captivity and our climate have been overcome.
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