Birdfinding.info ⇒ This spectacular bird is shy, uncommon, and declining across most of its range, but locally common in the Petén border region of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Reliable sites include Tikal National Park in Guatemala, Chan Chich Lodge in Belize, and Calakmul in Campeche. Near Cancún, the most consistent site is probably Cobá.
Ocellated Turkey
Meleagris ocellata
Family: Phasianidae
Endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula.
Inhabits humid woodlands nearly throughout the peninsula, southwest to the vicinity of Ciudad del Carmen (Campeche) and south in the interior to the Petén of Guatemala and west-central Belize.
Ocellated Turkeys patrolling Mayan temple ruins. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; July 8, 2015.) © Sophie Walters
Identification
An extraordinarily colorful turkey, with a pale-blue head and neck, orange and red warts, and iridescent plumage that glitters green, blue, purple, copper, and bronze. The name “ocellated” refers to blue eye-spots on the tail.
The sexes are similar except that males are somewhat larger and more brightly colored.
Ocellated Turkey, male. (Petén, Guatemala; January 16, 2019.) © abcdefgewing
Ocellated Turkey, male. (La Milpa Field Station, Orange Walk, Belize; December 20, 2018.) © Graham Montgomery
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 21, 2013.) © Cindy Howland-Hodson
Ocellated Turkey, male. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 19, 2019.) © Don Lipmanson
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Campeche, Mexico; March 12, 2016.) © Roberto González
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Campeche, Mexico; March 12, 2020.) © Luis Trinchan
Ocellated Turkey, male. (Chan Chich Lodge, Orange Walk, Belize; May 23, 2013.) © mnwild
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; May 2, 2017.) © Ad Konings
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 14, 2017.) © Stephen Gast
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Campeche, Mexico; April 12, 2016.) © Alfredo Dorantes Euan
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; March 12, 2020.) © Luis Trinchan
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; May 11, 2017.) © Ian Davies
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 20, 2017.) © David Zittin
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; May 11, 2017.) © Tim Lenz
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; July 13, 2019.) © Melissa Martinez
Ocellated Turkey, male. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 9, 2017.) © Michael McCloy
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 19, 2019.) © Don Lipmanson
Ocellated Turkey. (El Mirador National Park, Guatemala; May 23, 2017.) © Carlos Duarte
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; February 27, 2019.) © Luis Eduardo
Ocellated Turkey. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; April 16, 2015.) © Alfredo Dorantes Euan
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 29, 2019.) © driley
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Orange Walk, Belize; June 28, 2017.) © Rich Kostecke
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Campeche, Mexico; March 12, 2016.) © Roberto González
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; April 9, 2019.) © Ksénia L. Filatova
Ocellated Turkey, female. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying, showing warts and inflated blue horn. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying, showing warts and inflated blue horn. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 14, 2017.) © Stephen Gast
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying, showing warts and inflated blue horn. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, male displaying and maximally distorted. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 8, 2018.) © Luis Mario Arce
Ocellated Turkey, close view of facial warts. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; March 13, 2016.) © Roberto González
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 29, 2019.) © Joshua D. Vandermeulen
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 3, 2013.) © Chris Fisher
Ocellated Turkey. (Petén, Guatemala; December 7, 2009.) © Gianluca Di Santo
Ocellated Turkey. (El Mirador National Park, Guatemala; November 14, 2018.) © Un oeil sur la Terre
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; January 29, 2019.) © Joshua D. Vandermeulen
Ocellated Turkey, feather panels of displaying male. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 14, 2017.) © Stephen Gast
Ocellated Turkey, female. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; March 18, 2020.) © Julie Davis
Ocellated Turkey. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; December 29, 2009.) © Chris Harrison
Ocellated Turkey. (Tikal National Park, Guatemala; March 9, 2020.) © Tom Bisko
Ocellated Turkey. (Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico; February 9, 2010.) © Ian Routley
Ocellated Turkey, female. (Gallon Jug, Orange Walk, Belize; April 6, 2019.) © Roni Martinez
Notes
Monotypic species.
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened.
References
BirdLife International. 2016. Meleagris ocellata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22679529A92818023. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679529A92818023.en. (Accessed April 21, 2020.)
eBird. 2020. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, N.Y. http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed April 21, 2020.)
Howell, S.N.G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Madge, S., and P.J.K. McGowan. 2002. Pheasants, Partridges, and Grouse: A Guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails, and Sandgrouse of the World. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
Porter, W.F., and G.M. Kirwan. 2020. Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. https://www.hbw.com/node/53319. (Accessed April 21, 2020.)
Xeno-Canto. 2020. Ocellated Turkey – Meleagris ocellata. https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Meleagris-ocellata. (Accessed April 21, 2020.)