BACK COUNTRY BY ROBERT ADAMS

Autumn in central Florida brings, along with the changing leaves, mating season for wild Osceola turkeys [Meleagris gallopavo Osceola]. Named for the great Seminole leader, Chief Osceola, these birds dazzle with iridescent green, brown, and red plumage. In open fields or beneath oak canopies, males strut and fan their tail feathers to court mates. Sharp-eyed and fleet-footed, they roost in tall trees at night. Though not endangered, Osceola turkeys are protected as a managed game species in the United States.

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Sept. 30, 2025