IAS Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving…a fall celebrating since 1621 that brings family and friends to the table to give thanks and share a meal. Most Thanksgiving dinners include a turkey—an estimated 91 percent of Americans consume turkey on this holiday. And for days afterward. Most turkeys prepared are domesticated birds purchased from a store, although some are wild birds that have been harvested in the time-honored process of hunting.

The wild turkey achieved great fame during the process of selecting a national symbol. In a letter Benjamin Franklin penned to his daughter he exclaimed that the bald eagle was a “bird of bad moral character” that “does not get his living honestly.” Franklin felt that the wild turkey was a “bird of courage” and a better choice.

As you gather around the table this year, whether in person or virtually, share this quiz and see how well everyone understands another featured “guest” at the table, the turkey.

learn more about the Illinois Audubon Society at illinoisaudubon.org.