State asks public to count wild turkeys, even a white gobbler in Upper Burrell

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to count turkeys this summer for the agency’s Wild Turkey Sighting Survey.

The commission needs the public’s participation throughout the state to determine population trends and compare long-term reproductive success, said Travis Lau in a commission news release.

The count runs through Aug. 31.

Residents will be asked to provide the number of wild turkeys seen, location, date and contact information.

Turkey sightings can be reported through the Game Commission’s website.

When alerted about the survey, Upper Burrell Supervisor Ross Walker III said he will look into reporting what appears to be a leucistic — “white” — turkey that has been seen near his township home.

Walker said he had seen the bird several times in May and has advised residents who hunt on his land to not shoot the white turkey. The oddly colored bird has been seen foraging with wild turkeys.

“It’s exciting to see such a beautiful bird,” he said.

Game Commission turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena said it’s hard to tell from Walker’s photo whether the gobbler is a leucistic wild turkey or an escaped pen-reared bird.

She couldn’t see more details, such as the color of the bird’s legs, to decide, she said.

“If it is a wild bird, then this is extremely rare, probably one in several thousand occurrences,” Casalena said.

If people observe odd-colored turkeys during the survey, they should send the information to the commission’s general email, ra-comments@pa.gov, which will be forwarded to Casalena.

Of the color abnormalities, the most common is the “smoke phase,” which she typically observes with hens.

“From a distance, these birds appear to be white, though they are not albino,” Casalena said. They have dark eyes and normal-colored legs.

“Up close you can actually see all the colors of the typical eastern wild turkey,” she said. “However, the colors are muted or ghost-like, making the bird appear white or light gray.”

This color phase is a recessive trait, and the bird’s mother was likely a typically colored wild turkey, Casalena said.

Wild turkey populations are influenced by many factors, including spring weather, habitat, previous winter-food abundance, predation and last fall’s hunting harvest, Casalena said.

In 2019, the agency estimated the turkey population in Pennsylvania to be under 200,000.