Wild Turkey Taxidermy Overview: Species & Display Ideas
Happy Thanksgiving from All-Taxidermy! This week, we are highlighting one of North America’s most iconic game: the wild turkey.
Easily one of North America’s most popular and recognizable game birds, the Eastern, Merriam, Osceola, Ocellated, and Rio turkey species will make a perfect addition for your wild game collection.
At All-Taxidermy, we serve turkey hunters and bird taxidermy collectors alike. We provide life-size turkey taxidermy mounts with and without a custom habitat, floor pedestals, and tail fan displays to hang on your wall. Turkeys have the ability to fly across short distances, so for a more unique display, we can make your turkey appear as if it were in mid-flight!
Pictured above: Our new Merriam Turkey SKU 3313, Superior Quality Grade, Regal Wings Taxidermy
Let’s explore some of the most popular Turkey species/subspecies, as well as different ways you can display your turkey trophy:
Wild Turkey Species to Collect
Eastern Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
The most widely-distributed turkey species in North America, this is what you probably think of when you think of a turkey. In the wild, the Eastern turkey is distributed across 38 of the United States and in several Canada provinces. The adult male (also called a “Tom” or “Gobbler”) can weigh anywhere between 18 and 30 pounds. A male turkey’s featherless head, neck, and snood can change in color – turning a brilliant red during courtship.
When attracting females, a Tom turkey will also fan their tail feathers in a dramatic tail display. The brilliant brown-grey and black coloration and copper sheen of this bird’s feathers make it the perfect addition for any North American collection.
Pictured here: Eastern Turkery Taxidermy Mount for Sale SKU 2183
Merriam’s Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami)
The Merriam’s turkey is a subspecies of North American turkey that’s native to the Western, mountainous and forested regions of the United States. More specifically, they can be found throughout the wooded parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California.
The second largest turkey species behind the Eastern turkey, a male Merriam’s turkey reach a height of up to 4 feet tall and can weigh 20+ pounds. Females (or hens) are much smaller, weighing around 8 to 12 pounds. The Merriam’s turkey makes a gorgeous taxidermy trophy, having very dark feathers that are contrasted with light buff to white tail band and covert feathers.
Pictured here: Merriam’s Turkey Taxidermy Mount SKU 2582
Osceola Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola)
Native to the Florida peninsula, the Osceola turkey is a smaller subspecies that’s characterized by dark, green/blue and brown feathers, long legs, long spurs, and an overall leaner build when compared with the larger Eastern turkey. They also have darker wings with small white bands. The iridescent green/blue coloration on the male Osceola turkey makes it a stunning addition to your North American bird collection!
A Osceola turkey Tom can reach up to 20 pounds, with adult females being much lighter at 8 to 12 pounds. This species is also known for its very strong gobble call.
Contact the All-Taxidermy team to discuss your custom Osceola turkey taxidermy.
Pictured here: Osceola Turkey Taxidermy Mount SKU 2581
Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata)
The Ocellated turkey is a turkey species native to Ucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Brilliantly colored, this exotic-looking turkey species features beautiful iridescent green, blue, and bronze colors. The male turkey features very distinct red and orange nodules on its head.
Compared to other turkey species, it is smaller, with males weighing around 11 pounds and females weighing around 6.6 pounds. This bird’s call sounds more like drumming than it does gobbling.
Contact the All-Taxidermy team to discuss your custom Ocellated turkey trophy with a custom habitat that reflects its home in the wooded areas of Central America.
Pictured here: Ocellated Turkey SKU 2960
Rio Grande Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)
Looking to expand your Plains/Western taxidermy collection? The Rio Grande turkey is native to the semi-arid regions of the Great Plains and Pacific states, and can be found in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon.
The Rio Grande turkey Tom weighs an average of between 18 and 22 pounds. The female is about half that weight, weighing approximately 8 to 12 pounds.
Contact us for more information about crafting your custom trophy, or shop our current inventory of Rio Grande turkeys.
Pictured here: Rio Turkey Taxidermy Mount SKU 2964
Ways to Display Your Custom Turkey Taxidermy
Life Size Mounts
When many of us think of a taxidermy turkey display, we think of a large Tom turkey courting a female with an impressive feather display and a reddish head/snood.
If you’re just hunting Tom turkeys for sport, you likely are planning to turn them into a dramatic life-size display.
You have multiple options for displaying this magnificent bird: floor pedestals, wall pedestals, custom habitats, standing on a log/rock/branch, or a turkey in flight.
The Eastern, Merriam’s, or Rio Grande turkey are easily some of the most impressive birds in North America, with their dramatic tail feathers, red heads and snoods, and expressive pose.
Contact the All-Taxidermy team for a custom quote on your life-size turkey mount. To get started, find out more about our pricing here.
Turkey Fans
If you just want to focus on the impressive tail display, you can opt for a turkey fan for your Eastern, Merriam’s, or other turkey species. At All-Taxidermy, we specialize in detailed feather work to craft unique, one-of-a-kind tail fan displays along with a high quality wood plaque or driftwood.
Our custom turkey fans are a great way to show off your most recent turkey hunt – hang them for display in your cabin, office space, man cave, or outdoor sporting shop. In addition, you can also display the beard alongside the fan.
Turkey fans make great gifts for the taxidermy enthusiast in your life. Browse our online inventory for a special gift.
For your own custom turkey fan, please give our team a call, or refer to our pricing page for the most up-to-date pricing.
Tail & Wing Display
Another unique option for displaying your turkey trophy is by just displaying the tail and wings of the bird (you can also add the beard here too). Add a tail/wing trophy to your existing turkey collection, or bring in your bird to discuss custom options.
All our best turkey feather displays will be denoted by the “Regal Wings Taxidermy” logo, which represents our most musuem-quality work.
Pictured here is an Eastern Turkey taxidermy mount showing the wings, tail feathers, and a 10″ beard.
Questions or ready to get started? Contact us online or by phone at 888-983-3886 for a custom quote on your turkey!
We Are the Experts in Turkey Taxidermy!
With decades of professional experience working with various species and subspecies of wild turkey, you can rely on our bird taxidermy experts to provide detailed feather work. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that your turkey trophy looks as life-like as possible.
All-Taxidermy is a professional local shop based in Wrightstown, WI, serving customers in the area and nationwide. We specialize in beautiful deer, bear, elk, big cat, bird, fish, exotic, and other types of taxidermy, and are trained by world-class experts. From the largest Grizzly bear and moose, to small mammals and birds, you’ll notice our meticulous attention to detail with every trophy we create.
If you’d like a custom quote, please contact our team online today, or give us a call at 888-983-3886 to discuss details.
Happy Thanksgiving 2025 from All-Taxidermy!
