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| Common Name: | Ocellated Turkey | Family: | Phasianidae |
| Latin Name: | Agriocharis ocellata | Diet: | Omnivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Woodlands, Grasslands |
| Native To: | South America | Social Unit: | Individual |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Near threatened |
Ocellated turkeys at Edinburgh Zoo
Ocellated turkeys have been held at Edinburgh Zoo since 2008. They are quite rare in the zoo world and we are currently the only zoo holding these birds in the UK. We currently hold an adult breeding pair and a young female hatched in 2010, the first time the species has bred here.
Ocellated turkey photo by
Wild ocellated turkeys feed on grasses, herbs, seeds, insects and dropped fruit from surrounding trees. In the zoo they receive a similar diet with the addition of a pellet mix that is specially formulated for pheasants and related birds.
As present this species do not have a coordinated breeding programme; however, due to their low numbers in captivity and increasing threats in the wild, they are a species that could potentially require the need for a breeding programme in the near future.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
The adult breeding pair can be found sharing their enclosure with the thick-billed parrots in the aviary at the west end of the Monkey House. The young female ocellated turkey can be found in the East Aviaries, to the east of the upper sun bear viewing area.
Ocellated turkeys in the wild
The ocellated turkey (Agriocharis ocellata) exists only in a 50,000 square mile range in Central America, in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.
This species has large eye-like spots on its tail which become apparent when the tail is fanned out. These spots helped give the turkeys their name as the Latin for eye is oculus! Males older than a year have spurs on the backs of their legs which average at 1.5 - 2 inches.
The species is classed as Near Threatened, with most of the threats coming from hunting in the breeding season when males use the open woodland areas for their displays. Another threat for this species is habitat loss and fragmentation.
IUCN Red List category: Near Threatened
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