Turkey 

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Did you know that…

Turkeys, the turkey genus (Meleagris), are the only genus in the turkey family (Meleagridae) that belongs to the bird class (Aves) and the order Galliformes (galliform birds). According to the classification by U.S. scientists, the turkey family is classified as a subfamily Meleagridinae within the pheasant family (Phasianidae).

Turkeys are primarily found in the eastern regions of North America. Their main distribution area spans the eastern coast and midlands of the United States, with some in the southeastern part of Canada and Mexico. However, the domestic turkey is now raised not only in the Americas but also in Europe.

When Europeans first reached America and saw turkeys, they were mistakenly classified as a type of guinea fowl (Numididae). Hence, the scientific name comes from this erroneous historical classification. In Greek, the word “meleagris” (μελεαγρίς) means guinea fowl.

They got their name because, in Central Europe, they were introduced through Turkish ports, and they were called not American chickens but “Turkish chickens” or “Turkish fowl.” Later, this was shortened to “turkeys,” which, when translated into Latvian, could sound like “turceņi.” However, the word has slightly transformed in Latvian and acquired the sound “tītars.”

Source: wikipedia.org