Meleagris gallopavo is thought to have been introduced to California in the 1870s from the Rio Grande subspecies in the American southwest. Meleagris californica, the “Californian Turkey” went extinct around 10,000 years ago, it’s one of the most commonly represented bird species found in the La Brea tar pits . Today there is growing debate about the ecological role of turkeys in California, more research is needed.
