to introduce multiple sub-species of Turkeys to the same State, and often contiguous to existing populations of birds, it certainly isn't difficult to see why there are "few" pure Merriams anymore.....add to that the fact that the source of the original birds for the stocking might well have been "polluted" and suddenly the birds become a homogenous "mix" of whatever genes are present. Witness Washington calling the birds in the Klicitat "Merriams" while just across the river in Oregon the same population is referred to as "hybrid" by the Game Commission....
These days, due as much to the empahsis on "slamming" as on anything else, the "sub-specific" identification of Turkeys is often dependant on what the NWTF and the State says and not the characteristics of the bird itself. The best example of this is the Osceola who, for slam purposes, is determined based on an arbitrary line established by the records keepers at the NWTF that says, "south of this line --Osceola, North of this line--Eastern" and thats regardless of the "plummage characteristics" of the bird that should be the determining factor, giving us "record book" Osceola's that weigh 25 lbs and that have primary and secondary feather patterns that would be immediately i.d.'ed as Easterns by anyone that had ever seen an Eastern.
To a huge extent I see the same thing happeneing with the Merriams. The NWTF and the guide services that are selling hunts for "PURE MERRIAMS" tell us that a Merriams should be "white" on the tail tips and the rump and as a result pictures of birds with anything but white are "questioned".
Checking the literature I find the following on the characteristics of Merriams vs. Rio's:
Rectrix tips Upper tail coverts Rump
Merriams buff to pinkish white buff to pinkish white blueish black
Rio cinammon to buff cinammon or pinkish buff greenish gold to
blueish black
(*Shorger, Aldrich and Rea)
Based on the above characteristics Dani's bird has the characteristics of a Merriams, was shot in a part of the state that the Game Department released only Merriams, and as a result I'm happy with calling a bird a Merriam's even if it doesn't have the "WHITE and ONLY WHITE" tail tip and rump feathers that the NWTF hypes as the identifying marks. Add to that the fact that absolutely snow white featured birds are also taken on this property, (see a side by side picture showing that by Fred Slyfield just down the page).
Ultimately I think all "western" turkeys will become homogenous given the continued movement by Game Departments of "different" sub-species than the original plantings and that will leave the only "pure" Merriams in the core historic habitats of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, if even there given the fact that once seperated populations are now in such close proximity to one another.
WHO KNOWs....for now though I'm happy with calling the birds from the NE corner of Washington Merriams just lke I'm comfortable calling the birds from SW Oregon Rio's even though I killed a bird there this Spring that if it was shown to someone in Kansas it would immediately be labled a Rio x Eastern.
Steve
