Rio/eastern Hybrid or just eastern I cant tell
#12
The inner ring is supposed to be the best way to tell the difference, but...there is some variation within the sub-species. Rio's can vary a lot; some are hard to tell apart from Merriams.
I have a fan, almost identical to yours, from a bird I busted in 2003 northwest of Kona. Officially, we have Rio's, but there were "3doz wild turkeys from South Dakota" let loose in 1964.
Neither of those two sub-species are known for reddish tips on the inner tail feathers.
You might have to poke around for some information on the leg proportions of the diff sub-species to help. Rio's are supposed to be "leggier" than Easterns.
Here's a close-up of it.
I have a fan, almost identical to yours, from a bird I busted in 2003 northwest of Kona. Officially, we have Rio's, but there were "3doz wild turkeys from South Dakota" let loose in 1964.
Neither of those two sub-species are known for reddish tips on the inner tail feathers.
You might have to poke around for some information on the leg proportions of the diff sub-species to help. Rio's are supposed to be "leggier" than Easterns.
Here's a close-up of it.
#16
Thanks everyone I had one of my buddies dad take a look at it due to him being a Kansas Fish and game officer he said it is an eastern like most of yall said it was thanks everyone for the help and pics!!!
#19
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 43
This is one of the Rios I shot last week in Kingman county KS. I was told they only have "true" Rios. The outter fan is just as tan as the inner fan. It is just hard to see with the ply wood as a background. Nice bird by the way.