Struttin' His Stuff

 

 Spring is definitely here ... and the Ocellated Turkeys are courting.  Watch as this male struts his stuff, before a bevy of seemingly disinterested females.  This sort of display -- fanned tail, stomping and vocalizing -- goes on for weeks.  The males seem indiscriminate in selecting their object of affection, displaying to people and vehicles alike that pass by.  When you visit Chan Chich Lodge, you will have no problem finding these beautiful turkeys -- they are common and readily seen, right around the cabanas.

Christmas Count Turkey

With the 112th Christmas Bird Count underway across the Americas, and the Gallon Jug 21st Christmas Bird Count coming up this weekend, I thought this bird would be an appropriate subject.  It is, of course, the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata).  This colorful species has become something of an icon at Chan Chich Lodge, where a dozen can be seen at any given moment, and dozens more found in Gallon Jug.  On average, we record 119 each Christmas Bird Count.  The least we've counted was 37 (way back in 1990). And the overall best count for this near-threatened, endemic species in our count area  is 236 (see below).

Clearly, good management on the Gallon Jug Estate has helped the Ocellated Turkey thrive in Gallon Jug/Chan Chich.   Wonder if we'll break the record on Saturday?

Not a Peacock

Many people, used to the plainer North American version, can hardly believe this large bird is a turkey. In fact, I've heard it referred to as "that peacock that hangs around by the Lodge." This is the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), a species that has nearly been wiped out throughout its range. Fortunately for us, this gorgeous bird, is common, really common around Chan Chich Lodge and the Gallon Jug Estate.

While I don't often "guarantee" that visitors will see a particular bird, I'm not going out on a limb when I say I absolutely guarantee that you'll see this one. And you'll be lucky enough to get as close as Frank Buck did, to get some spectacular pictures of a spectacular bird.

Foraging Flock

One of the great things about the camera traps is the "slice of life" they show. Just life as the animals are living it at that moment in time. For those of us interested in animals and behavior, that is plenty interesting even it if is not always dramatic. This is a mid-sized Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) flock foraging through an area by Chan Chich's Bajo Trail.

Bruce reminded me of a friend, who upon seeing the turkeys for the first time, thought they were peacocks. Yes, they really are that gorgeous and these days seldom seen outside of this protected corner of the country. To listen to the distinctive vocalization of the turkey, go to xeno-canto here. You'll note there is a recording from Chan Chich Lodge.

CBC Results

In honor of the Christmas Bird Count, I suppose it is appropriate that the first images coming off the camera trap I set more than a week ago are Ocellated Turkeys. This is just one of 33 turkey photos in the series. One thing about the turkeys, as I've mentioned before, once they get in front of the camera, they tend to stay there. And am I glad to see them -- I was beginning to think I'd really lost my touch choosing camera location and set-up.

And .... drum roll please... the 19th Gallon Jug Christmas Bird Count results are in. All told, we counted 202 species, up one species from last year, and 2161 individuals, down from last year. For those that might be wondering, since turkeys are on topic, they totaled 111.

All in all, not bad. Not bad at all considering the deluge of rain we've had over the past several days and nights leaving us in downright swampy conditions.

Countdown to Bird Count

Starting tomorrow evening, we'll be counting turkeys and all the other birds we come across as we kick off the 24 hour Christmas Bird Count period for Gallon Jug/Chan Chich. We'll start out with a night bird count and then count dawn to dusk, the following day, the 31st.

To get an idea from CBCs past, the number of species counted during the 24 hour count period has ranged from 171 to 238. The number of individual birds has ranged from 1,718 to 4,772. These numbers have been somewhat influenced by number of participants (and thus territory covered) as well as weather where, for example, rain has been a factor.

The first table (below, left) provides a summary of the total numbers of species recorded for each year’s Gallon Jug Christmas Bird Count. The second table (below, right) provides a summary of the total number of individual birds recorded for each year’s Gallon Jug Christmas Bird Count.

The image above is one of my favorite Ocellated Turkey photos, taken years ago when we worked in Caracol, in the Maya Mountains. Unfortunately, the turkey has been completely wiped out from Caracol due to hunting. Luckily, they are still numerous here on the Gallon Jug Estate.

A Guaranteed Turkey

If you spend any time at all in Gallon Jug or Chan Chich, you'll see an Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata). More than one. Guaranteed.

I don't normally go out on a limb to "guarantee" an animal sighting of any kind ... except for the turkey. And I'd only guarantee it here, where they are abundant and thriving. These gorgeous turkeys are widely hunted throughout their limited range in the Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala. During our years in Belize, we've seen them completely disappear from locations in Belize's once remote Chiquibul, hunted out. Luckily, strict protection from hunting here in Gallon Jug/Chan Chich has allowed them to thrive ... and they have become so human-habituated that they are visible, even approachable, around the Lodge, around the Gallon Jug farm, at any time of day.

This nice photo from Ben's files, is from the River Trail near the Lodge. Ocellated Turkeys are also known for being curious about the camera traps and are responsible for hundreds of images as they investigate the camera, dust bathe, investigate the camera, preen, investigate the camera, forage, investigate the camera ... you get the picture!