Habitat use and reproductive ecology of the Ocellated Turkey in Tikal National Park, Guatemala

Despite its size, color, importance as a game species, and restricted geographic range (Yucatan Peninsula, northern Belize, and northern Guatemala), little is known about the ecology of the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata). Habitat use, breeding behavior, and survival based on radiotelemetry of this species were studied in Tikal National Park, Guatemala 1988-1989 and 1993-1994. Ocellated Turkeys use tall forest cover to care for their poults and forest clearings and other vegetation types during courtship and nesting. Radio-collared females traveled up to 8 km (average of 2.4 km) from the point of capture in search of nesting sites. Nesting success of eight hens was 62% and poult survival rate was 15%. The largest home range recorded for a female with poults was 12.5 [km.sup.2].
The Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), one of the most spectacular birds in the Guatemalan avifauna, is an important game species that is commonly sought by subsistence hunters. The species occupies [...]