First of all, why the name “turkey?” Known to ornithologists as Meleagris gallopavo, the turkey is native to the New World and has nothing to do with the nation of Turkey. Along with the muscovy duck, it is the only domesticated fowl native to the Americas. The story behind “turkey” isn’t exactly clear, but it probably has to do with a mistaken belief that the birds came from the exotic East, as represented by Ottoman Turkey.
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