Meet the wild turkeys taking up residence near one of Loveland's busiest intersections
People flock to Loveland's Promenade Shops at Centerra to browse and meander the paths leading through the unique Chapungu Sculpture Park's Zimbabwean sculptures.
And now there is another draw to the area — a flock of wild turkeys.
For many, it's surprising to see wild turkeys so close to the ongoing road construction at the U.S. Highway 34 and Interstate 25 interchange and the busy roads in and out of Centerra.
But most mornings, if staying at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott, buying a diamond ring at Jared Jewelry or walking the sculpture park, you are likely to see this urban flock comfortably doing what rural turkeys do: eat grasshoppers and berries, enjoy a dust bath, preen their feathers and chase each other when the pecking order is challenged.
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So why did these turkeys stake a claim to the noisiest, busiest interchange and shopping center along the northern Front Range?
"It has good habitat despite the high density of people, the construction, and there are really no predators,'' said Jackson Davis, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer whose district covers the area. "And now they are getting more and more comfortable with human presence.''
Davis said another draw for the turkeys was some businesses feeding the birds, which is discouraged. He said he had to have conversations with those shops to stop the practice.
The flock of 10 to 15 moved north into the area several years ago from the Big Thompson River, likely because of disturbance from heavy construction on the river's bridges on I-25, Davis said. Centerra offered the closest best habitat with enough food, water and tall trees to roost in at night.
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The flock, which stays in the area year-round, is a mix of toms (mature males), jakes (young males) and hens (females). Toms generally have longer beards, jakes shorter beards and hens short or no beards.
Turkeys can fly but prefer to run, reaching top-end speeds of 25 mph to escape danger. They roost in tall cottonwood trees at night, but their nests are on the ground in heavy cover.
The best way to view the turkeys is to pull of the road and watch from your vehicle, which serves as a blind. This is less stressful for the birds, which in turn generally means you will have more time to view them doing what turkeys naturally do.
Colorado is home to Rio Grande and Merriam's turkeys, with some turkey hybrids of both subspecies. The Centerra flock are Rio Grande turkeys, Davis said.
Rio Grande turkeys were introduced into the riparian areas of the Eastern Plains in the 1980s. They have greatly expanded their range and now can be seen as far west as Fort Collins. One of the best places to see these turkeys is at the Environmental Learning Center, 2400 S. Larimer County Road 9, in east Fort Collins.
Merriam's turkeys are native to Colorado and are generally found in the foothills and mountain meadows west of I-25. Lory State Park and Rocky Mountain National Park are good places to see these birds.
Colorado is home to about 35,000 turkeys, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado has a turkey hunting season, but there is no hunting in the area where the Centerra flock is located because of the proximity to buildings and people.
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Northern Colorado wild turkeys find home in unlikely location
