There are two living species of wild turkey in the world: the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) of North America and the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) of the YucatĂĄn region in Mexico and parts of Belize and Guatemala.

Main species

  • Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
    Found across much of North America, this is the species from which domestic turkeys were originally derived.

It has several regional subspecies such as the Eastern, Osceola (Florida), Rio Grande, Merriam’s, and Gould’s, but all are the same biological species.

  • Ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata)
    A separate species with striking iridescent plumage and eye‑like “ocelli” on the tail feathers, found mainly in the Yucatán Peninsula, northern Belize, and northern Guatemala.

It is not just a subspecies of the wild turkey, but a distinct species with its own range and appearance.

Species vs. subspecies

  • When people ask “how many species of wild turkey exist,” biologists recognize 2 species: wild turkey and ocellated turkey.
  • The oft‑quoted “five types of wild turkey” refers to the five subspecies of the North American wild turkey (Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Gould’s), not five separate species.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.