For those who frequent Delaware’s fields, forests, swamps, and marshes, sightings of wild turkeys have become a familiar part of the landscape. What many don’t know is the significant role Delaware Wild Lands (DWL) played in reintroducing this native species to the state.
Wild turkeys, a secretive woodland species, are native only to North America. They once thrived across the East Coast, but by the early 20th century, their populations had dwindled due to habitat loss from human development. By the mid-1970s, wild turkeys had disappeared entirely from Delaware.
In 1981, DWL partnered with Delaware State Fish and Wildlife and game wardens to release more than 50 pen-reared wild turkeys at the Great Cypress Swamp property. While early sightings of young turkeys raised hope, it became clear by the fall that the long-term survival of these birds was unlikely.
Undeterred, DWL, along with partners including the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Northeast Wildlife Conference Group, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, launched a second reintroduction effort. In January 1984, 40 wild turkeys were released at Milford Neck and Great Cypress Swamp properties. Telemetry monitoring and increased sightings the following year confirmed the success of the 1984 release, with both locations hosting breeding populations by 1987. By 1992, Delaware’s wild turkey population was estimated at around 800 birds, and by 1993, the number had risen to 1,000.
Today, the wild turkey population in Delaware exceeds 5,000, and sightings are common throughout the state. DWL properties, including Betts, Armstrong, Taylor’s Bridge, Sharp Farms, Milford Neck, and the Great Cypress Swamp, are frequently visited by wild turkeys. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of DWL and its conservation partners, wild turkeys are once again thriving across Delaware.
