Why Did We Name A Bird After Turkey?

[Doc Tinker]

Why did we name a bird after that country and then honor it on Thanksgiving?



Doc

 

[Whitmore]

A long long time ago the meat that was served was actually Jerkey and somehow just like everything else someone confused Jerkey with Turkey and it has been that ever since



Maybe Schultz can straighten this mess out



Cheers, Kevin

 

[klenger]

I heard that early on that the founding fathers were considering making the turkey our national bird. Can you imagine eating a bald eagle for thanksgiving?

 

[JPope]

Turkey/ Egg ???

Who says the bird was named after the country??

Maybe the other way around?



Before my time, and don't remember my zoology or history that well

 

[Bill Lins]

Because, Doc, they knew that, someday, you'd ask.

 

[lschultz]

Doc. Are you a turkey or a jerkey or a idiot?

 

[illflem]

Believe it or not there is a real answer to this-

They are called turkeys because it was formerly erroneously believed that they came originally from Turkey.

The North American wild turkey and the domestic turkey were derived from the Mexican wild turkey, but had been domesticated by the Indians long before the discovery of America.