We're talkin' turkey with this week's featured bird - wild turkeys, that is. The wild turkey is a proud and beautiful game bird found throughout the United States, and its iridescent plumage and strutting posture is unmistakable. These birds have spectacular eyesight and hearing, and because of their large size adult turkeys have little to fear from predators, though chicks are more frequently threatened. Nearly extinct in the 1930s due to hunting and habitat loss, wild turkey populations are abundant today with more than 7 million birds strutting their stuff.

Want to know more? These Fun Facts About Wild Turkeys give you an unusual insight into this familiar bird. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wild Turkey
Photo © Alan Vernon

President Obama has reached another milestone in office: his first official Thanksgiving turkey pardons. According to Fox News, President Obama was accompanied by his daughters, Sasha and Malia, as he ceremonially pardoned two domestic turkeys presented to him by the National Turkey Federation. The birds, Courage and Carolina, will fly first class to Disneyland in California where Courage, the "presidential" turkey, will be the honorary grand marshal at Disney's "Thanksgiving for Giving Day" Parade. Carolina is the "vice presidential" bird and will step in if Courage cannot fulfill his duties.

Presidents have been pardoning turkeys since 1947, and the lighthearted ceremony is a favorite White House Thanksgiving event.

The White House
Photo © John Haslam

Wild bird rehabilitation centers are regularly home to convalescing songbirds, birds of prey and other birds, but according to the Washington Post, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds in Cape Town, South Africa, has different patrons.

This rehab center is where thousands of African penguins have regularly been treated for oil spills, malnutrition or just being out of range. Penguins are of special interest to many ornithologists and conservationists, as they can be a very accurate indicator of climate change and environmental shifts. Most penguin species are considered endangered or threatened, and small changes in the environment can have huge impacts on their populations. Overfishing and oceanic pollution are other risks these penguins face, and their reactions can help conservationists gauge natural changes and improve environmental protection measures.

To learn more about the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, including how you can help adopt a penguin and support the facility, visit www.sanccob.co.za.

African Penguin
Photo © Paul Mannix

According to the North-West Evening Mail, the Hawcliffe Bird Sanctuary in Barrow is facing imminent closure. Run by Pat Denny, the sanctuary cares for 40 unreleasable birds with permanent injuries, and the costs of food and care can reach £100 or more per week. While many individuals who drop off injured birds and animals kindly donate what they can, Denny is searching for a permanent sponsor to help alleviate the hefty costs of caring for injured wildlife. Without such a sponsor, the sanctuary may be unable to take any new residents.

Bird sanctuaries and wildlife rehabilitation centers around the world are facing similar financial crises. The cost of food, housing, medical care, recuperative training and administrative expenses can be extreme, and donations are always welcome to help care for the birds. Volunteers and material donations of office supplies, newspapers, animal food, cleaning supplies and other equipment are also welcome. Contact your local bird rehabilitation center or wildlife care facility for details on how you can help.

Two Pence
Photo © John