Color Variations: What would you call these two birds?

[busta biggun]

We have had an awesome hunt. On the same day, and basically the same field we shot these two birds. I would be curious what you would call them. I would say they are both Rios, with different color variations. Others may say the darker one is a Rio/Eastern Hybrid and the lighter one is a basic Rio. Or you might say the darker on is a Rio and the lighter one is a Merriam.

I just find it so interesting to see how different these birds all look.

[hobbes]

I think all the birds have a range of color variation.  Call them whatever you want to.  I'd call them dead turkeys since I don't know where you killed them.   

If I were just going by color the top looks like a darker Rio coloration and the bottom a lighter rio coloration.  However, I've killed Merriams that were not any whiter than the bottom bird and my son has killed a Rio that wasn't any darker than that bird either.

[TRKYHTR]

Both typical Rios.

TRKYHTR

[busta biggun]

I was hunting in NW Kansas near the Nebraska border. All indications say Rios based on the sub-species charts but I have shot birds here that were almost pure white tips. I have also shot birds here that looked like Easterns.

Anyway, just curious as to what you all thought.

Thanks.

[GobbleNut]

I agree that by basic appearance only, combined with the fact that they were killed in the same place, those are most likely Rios.  However, you really have to know the history of the area you were hunting in terms of what subspecies was there originally, whether or not there have been any transplants of other subspecies in the general area, and how long ago any such transplants took place. 

If the area is indigenous habitat for Rios, and no other subspecies have been introduced in the region, then you could conclude they are pure Rios.  If there have been Merriams in the region for a while, as well as Rios, then they are likely hybrids. 

Of course, if they came from Merriams country with no Rio introductions anywhere nearby, they could be Merriams,...but the pictures do not suggest Merriams based on what I see in them.

Regardless, the possibility that one of them is a Rio and the other is a Merriams is very remote,...unless one or the other subspecies has been introduced alongside the other within the last generation of turkeys.  After the first generation passes, some of the next generation would certainly be hybrids, and within a few generations, all of them would be. 

[BOFF]

I'd call them dead.









Congrats!!!

God Bless,
David B.

[ALfwlmth]

I'd call them dead.
X100, just like I like em. 







Congrats!!!

God Bless,
David B.

[DirtNap647]

dead turks congrats

[Tomspur]

100% rios.

[lightsoutcalls]

Nice birds!

I hunted south and west of Oklahoma City last weekend.  I killed a bird that looked much like your lighter colored bird.  My hunting buddy killed one with similar color to the darker colored bird within 10 yards of where I killed my bird the day before.  I agree with the idea that they are both rios, just different color variation. 

[Gooserbat]

I've killed Easterns that where light and some that were dark.  Same with Rio's.  I compare it to some people are blond, some have red hair, and some brown, and black (and even some pink and purple but I don't recon that's mother natures fault)