After the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, wild turkeys in New England are looking to make their mark on one of the area’s cities. The flock of feathered hooligans has been intimidating the residents of Woburn, Massachusetts, led by one tough turkey in particular: Kevin.
A group of five of the wild birds have been spending plenty of time on the lawn of a woman named Meaghan Tolson. Tolson originally shared multiple videos on Twitter of Kevin and has given all the birds their own names. Other than Kevin, the all-female turkey crew includes Gladys, Ester, Monica and Patricia.
“The women are more mellow and not so territorial. But I think he kind of amps them up to get them going to chase people,” Tolson said.
Apparently, Kevin likes to lurk near the door of her home, as well as her car. “They don’t let you out of your house,” she said.
David Scarpitti, a turkey expert with Massachusetts’ wildlife department, said that these problems arise when turkeys become too habituated to humans. This is due to people feeding them directly or from the turkeys freeloading off of bird feeders intended for other types of birds.
“Turkeys are just kind of acting out what they do amongst themselves,” Scarpitti said. He recommends carrying an umbrella and opening it in front of you to frighten off the birds and not allow the birds to assert dominance.
Source: https://twitter.com/Meaghanneliza/status/1594854920385138690