With Thanksgiving on the horizon, no matter what you’re eating for dinner, we’ve all got turkey on the brain. Since ‘tis the season, we thought it was a good time to appreciate some of the lesser-known attributes of our feathered friends and test your turkey trivia! Play along with us and see if you can spot the fact or fowl!  

 

1. What does the Greek word for turkey actually mean?  

A.) Brazil Parrot  

B.) Russian Chicken  

C.) French Bird 

 

If you said C.) French Bird, you are correct! 

In America, it’s called a turkey. In Greece, it’s a “French bird.” In France, it’s a “chicken from India.” In India, it’s a “Peru.” It seems we can’t come to a consensus on this continental concept!

2. How far can the sound of a turkey gobble travel? (try saying that 5x fast!)

A.)  10 miles 

B.)  1 mile 

C.) 4 miles  

 

The answer is B.) 1 mile!

Turkey gobbles can be heard a little over a mile away by the human ear. Each male even has his own unique gobbling technique.

3. How much bigger than a chicken egg is an egg from a turkey?

A.)  50% bigger 

B.)  200% bigger 

c.)   20% bigger 

 

If you picked A.) 50% bigger, you’re right!

One reason turkey eggs never took off as a popular food is turkey mothers are very protective, making egg collection way too challenging. Can you blame them for being a bit possessive over these cheeky chicks?

4. How fast can a turkey run? 

A.) 25 mph  

B.) 6 mph 

C.) 50 mph 

 

The answer is A.) 25 mph! 

That’s only two miles slower than the fastest human (27 mph). And contrary to popular belief, turkeys can fly short distances—in fact, they can hit 55 mph during flight.

5. Who wanted the turkey to be chosen as the U.S. national emblem?  

A.) Thomas Jefferson 

B.) Alexander Hamilton 

C.) Benjamin Franklin 

 

If you said C.) Benjamin Franklin, we have a winner, winner, Tofurky dinner!

Benjamin Franklin wished the turkey was chosen as the national emblem, calling the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character.” Yeah, we hang with a tough flock.

6. What is the skin on a male turkey’s beak called? 

A.) Sniffer 

B.) Gobbler 

C.) Snood 

 

The answer is C.) Snood! 

The long flap of skin over a male’s beak is called a snood, and it changes color depending on his mood. Like a built-in mood ring! But don’t stare, it’s snood! 

7. What is one indicator of gender in a turkey? 

A.) The color of their feet 

B.) The size of their eyes 

C.) The shape of their droppings 

 

If you said C.) The shape of their droppings, you’re correct! 

Turkey droppings indicate gender. Males produce spiral-shaped poo, while the females’ are shaped like the letter J.

8. What does “furcula,” the proper name for wishbone, mean?

A.) Little Ladder 

B.) Little Shovel 

C.) Little Fork 

 

The answer is C.) Little Fork! 

The wishbone is actually called "furcula," meaning “little fork.” The T-Rex and Velociraptor had one, too!

9. Which dish was added to the feast after the first “Thanksgiving”? 

A.) Turkey  

B.) Stuffing  

C.) Cranberry Sauce 

 

If you said A.) Turkey, you’re in the zone! 

The author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Sarah Josepha Hale, is responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday, with turkey as the traditional main dish. The first Thanksgiving celebration did not, in fact, include turkey.

10. What color are most domesticated turkeys? 

A.) White 

B.) Brown 

C.) Black  

 

The answer is A.) White! 

Most domesticated turkeys have been bred to have white feathers, because they don’t show spots under the skin when plucked. 

11. Which of these hidden talents do turkeys have? 

A.) They can sing 

B.) They can make art  

C.) They can swim 

 

If you said C.) they can swim, you’re doing swimmingly! 

When they need to, Turkeys can swim by tucking their wings in close, spreading their tails, and kicking. 

12. Young male turkeys are called:

A.) Jakes

B.) Joes

C.) Jasons

D.) Tims

 

If you said A.) Jakes, go ahead and shake your tail feathers! 

Juvenile males are called jakes, and juvenile females are called jennies!

13. In what year did the "Tom Turkey" float debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

A.) 1982

B.) 1973

C.) 1960

D.) 1989

 

If you said B.) 1973, you're the star of the show!

Tom Turkey is the oldest, most recurring float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

 

So how did you do? Did you ace the game with your Turkey Trivia or did you gobble under the pressure? Put your family to the test at your Thanksgiving table and see just how familiar with this fowl you are!

Also check out Thanksgiving 2021: Bring Compassion to the Feast, our holiday handbook! Learn how to plant-ify your favorite dishes, and where you can find more humane, sustainable turkeys and turkey alternatives this year!