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Numbers in the News: Turkeys
DANIELA DUNCAN/GETTY IMAGES
In the U.S., most people celebrate Thanksgiving with turkey. Find out some facts and figures about the bird and its role in this national holiday.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
95 PERCENT
The percentage of Americans who eat turkey on Thanksgiving
216.5 MILLION
The number of domestic turkeys raised on farms in the U.S. in 2021
6.5 MILLION
The number of wild turkeys in the U.S. today. They’re found in every state except Alaska.
1,500 YEARS AGO
When archaeologists believe Indigenous people in Mexico first domesticated wild turkeys, which are native to North America
55 MILES PER HOUR
The speed that a wild turkey can fly—but only short distances
THINK ABOUT IT: What animals or plants do people associate with other holidays? Why?
SOURCES: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION