Kinda Confused: Shasta County turkey & California Turkey

[Sir-diealot]

I was talking with someone over on Facebook and somebody else brought up Shasta County turkey & California Turkey as species of wild turkey. I have never heard of them. Are these a subspecies of one of the normal 6 we would think of? (Eastern, Gould's, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam's and Ocellated) or something not recognized as a wild turkey like maybe a hybrid?

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

He is referring to long-extinct species of wild turkeys.  Mealagris californica is well established and documented from fossil records. The Shasta County species or subspecies is not.

[Sir-diealot]

He is referring to long-extinct species of wild turkeys.  Mealagris californica is well established and documented from fossil records. The Shasta County species or subspecies is not.

Okay, thanks for clearing that up, I was wondering if it was something like that.

[NCL]

On a side note to this topic, several years ago I read that there was a moved to eliminate turkeys in California because they were non-native. Due to the fossil remains mentioned in Rapscallion Vermilion response it was established that turkeys were native to California.

[Will]

Shocker that California would make a move to do something stupid.

[NCL]

It was actually that Federal Government that wanted them removed from parks.