[EBB Sightings] turkeys in Oakland

REgarding turkeys and cats, last summer turkeys successfully reared a 
number of young here at Mills.  Since I started teaching here in 1986 
there has been a noticeable decline in quail.  I think this is partly due 
to brush clearing in certain areas, but in the central campus I believe a 
large population of feral cats is at least partly responsible.  With some 
student help, we have reduced the cat population quite a bit (I used to 
see as many as 20 milling around the botanical garden and student houses 
near my office).  One of the things that interested me about the turkeys 
when they arrived last year is that they have been brazenly foraging, even 
with small chicks, right in the areas that are frequented by cats. 
Obviously they are able to fend off predators much better than the 
considerably smaller quail.
Recently someone told me that they had heard of a study documenting turkey 
predation on quail nests.  Anybody heard of that?

John H. Harris
Professor of Biology
Mills College
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
(510) 430-2027
johnh at mills.edu


6On Mon, 28 Feb 2005, John Luther wrote:

> Continuing the "wild" Turkey theme I saw 9 this afternoon fly down Shepherd
> Canyon in the Oakland hills.  They were 200 to 400 feet up in the air
> flapping and gliding their way down the canyon.  Those that I saw stop all
> landed in large Monterey Pines near the tops of those trees.  They landed
> more than half way down the canyon between Skyline Blvd and the highway 13
> freeway.  These are the first that I have seen from home.  It is a yard bird
> I hoped I would never see.  Perhaps we can convince them to start eating the
> cats that have removed the California Quail.  Then they might be welcome.
> John Luther
> Oakland
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