El Guajolote Supremo wishes everyone…
…a Happy Thanksgiving!
As fabulous a bird as our North American Wild Turkey undoubtedly is, there is a turkey more wonderful still: the Ocellated 
Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) of tropical Central America.>>
On this Turkey Day feast your eyes on the glory that is the iridescent El Guajolote Supremo — eaten nearly to extinction because it apparantly tastes as good as it looks. 
Now it’s protected, and currently can be found primarily on the Yucatán Peninsula, and a limited number of other spots and preserves including Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Guatemala. (These photos were taken by A and E Shock at Chan Chich Lodge in Belize in 2007. Be sure to click to enlarge!)
I’d be surprised if those feathers weren’t prized for hats. I found myself wishing for some. Did you find any dropped feathers?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yes, Sue — I’m sure you’re right, its feathers must have been highly desirable. We didn’t find any, which is actually surprising because of the numbers of turkeys wandering around there, but the Lodge grounds were extremely tidy! It would have been tempting…
BEAUTIFUL plumage!
Seriously, those are just extravagantly beautiful turkeys. The feathers are only a part of the glory THOSE BLUE HEADS! OMG!
[…] Photo of an Ocellated Turkey, Chan Chich, Belize (A or E Shock) More photos here. […]