Rio????

[CJ1962]

I shot this bird in the SE corner a few days ago not far from the Oregon border.  It kind of looks more like a Merriam than a Rio.  Thoughts


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[CJ1962]

Once I got home I compared him to one of my Merriams.  It is different.  The fan on the right is the Merriam and the wing and fan in the middle is the bird I recently shot


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[CJ1962]

Here is a fan of a Rio my dad shot in Oregon as a comparison


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[Russ McDonald]

I would say that is a merriam.  The biggest thing is the covert feathers which is the in ring on the fan.  I shot a merriam up in Evans which looks loke my Rio from CA except the inner ring is almost white.

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[buglebuster]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

[zwickeyman]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

[Russ McDonald]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[Ridgeratt]

Therefore there called Rio's, Merriam's, and Mario's

[TriggerMike]

That's a merriams. And I've noticed a majority of the birds on the west side of 121 along Roosevelt are Rios/hybrids.

[buglebuster]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[mention]Russ McDonald [/mention] What would you call these ones?

[Russ McDonald]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[mention]Russ McDonald [/mention] What would you call these ones?

Merriam. Pretty sure you hunt around Yakima right?  Merriams there. 

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[TriggerMike]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[mention]Russ McDonald [/mention] What would you call these ones?

Merriam's.

[buglebuster]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[mention]Russ McDonald [/mention] What would you call these ones?

Merriam. Pretty sure you hunt around Yakima right?  Merriams there. 

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While I have hunted around Yakima we don’t normally. These are blue mountain “rios” within spitting distance of Oregon.

[Russ McDonald]

I think most of our WA turkeys are so crossbred now they none of them are pure. Some take on the rio traits more, while others the merriams. Some right in the middle.

  I 100% agree

I would agree but this is the OR border which has Rios.  I would understand if that if was of white. But that is even a little bit off white

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[mention]Russ McDonald [/mention] What would you call these ones?

Merriam. Pretty sure you hunt around Yakima right?  Merriams there. 

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While I have hunted around Yakima we don’t normally. These are blue mountain “rios” within spitting distance of Oregon.

Super interesting.  I know Idaho has some merriams.  I would not question those as merriams.  It is interesting.  The crosses would not be all white like those.  Thought for sure you were hunting around Yakima seeing those birds.

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[Russ McDonald]

Per WDFW those are Rio's but to me Meeriam's 100%.  Sw ID has merriam's

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[Ridgeratt]

Back when the WDFW chose to import the "invasive species" into the state they were released with a geographical boundary. Everything north of the Spokane river and lake Roosevelt were considered Merriam's and south of the boundary was a Rio.

[iRem]

Per WDFW those are Rio's but to me Meeriam's 100%.  Sw ID has merriam's

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[TriggerMike]

Just because they're in the Blues doesn't mean they're Merriams. Maybe 25 years ago or whatever it was when they initially released them geographically. As discussed earlier a lot of the birds north of the Spokane River now are definitely Rio. West of Hwy 395, around Kettle Falls, etc, tons of Rios and hybrids.

[tracksoup]

Bench leg turkeys??

[TriggerMike]

Bench leg turkeys??

Pretty much

[ASHQUACK]

What would you guys call this one.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Here is a fan of a Rio my dad shot in Oregon as a comparison


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Where did your dad shoot that bird in Oregon because that to me looks like an eastern... which Oregon definitely has.... generally west of Portland but also through the Willamette valley.

The difference between rios and merriams aren't as much in the tips though that is the first sign but in the rump feathers.... the ones near to the base of the fan. On a Merriam those feathers are almost jet black where as on a rio they are much lighter. As you scroll through the above photos you can really see what I'm talking about. Look at the birds lower back... is it black.

Easterns have that milk chocalate middle band on their fan with the carmel tips and where I am wondering about your dad's bird.... WA, OR, ID, and MT all have easterns in pockets.

[CJ1962]

Here is a fan of a Rio my dad shot in Oregon as a comparison


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Where did your dad shoot that bird in Oregon because that to me looks like an eastern... which Oregon definitely has.... generally west of Portland but also through the Willamette valley.

The difference between rios and merriams aren't as much in the tips though that is the first sign but in the rump feathers.... the ones near to the base of the fan. On a Merriam those feathers are almost jet black where as on a rio they are much lighter. As you scroll through the above photos you can really see what I'm talking about. Look at the birds lower back... is it black.

Easterns have that milk chocalate middle band on their fan with the carmel tips and where I am wondering about your dad's bird.... WA, OR, ID, and MT all have easterns in pockets.

He shot it west of Salem.  I thought Oregon only had transplanted Rios


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[Lucky Eric]

Not a Turkey hunter here. Just want to say I had no idea there was different kinds of wild Turkeys. Pretty birds.

[nwwanderer]

Three kinds in WA, with blends every where

[TriggerMike]

What would you guys call this one.

Rio/hybrid.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

He shot it west of Salem.  I thought Oregon only had transplanted Rios


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We hunt down by Salem, east of I5 and there are a bunch of easterns down there. Here are two easterns and a rio off the same farm. So even Oregon has gotten all three species... predominantly they got rio's but some easterns for sure from Salem to Portland then merriams here and there.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

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[Russ McDonald]

What would you guys call this one.

Merriam insert covert feathers are pretty light.  Alsocould be a cross.  Only way to tell is a biologist.  We are all just guessing off of characteristics of each species.  Merriams white to off white coverts and tips, Rios darker off white to dark cream coverts and tips, Easterns chocolate and darker coverts and tips.  Oregon did have a small plant of easterns up nw part of state. Pic of some of mine.  Right and left merriam.  Middle is Rio from CA.  Other pic is obvious

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[ASHQUACK]

What would you guys call this one.

Merriam insert covert feathers are pretty light.  Alsocould be a cross.  Only way to tell is a biologist.  We are all just guessing off of characteristics of each species.  Merriams white to off white coverts and tips, Rios darker off white to dark cream coverts and tips, Easterns chocolate and darker coverts and tips.  Oregon did have a small plant of easterns up nw part of state. Pic of some of mine.  Right and left merriam.  Middle is Rio from CA.  Other pic is obvious

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Thank you, I felt it was a cross as well. There are both Rio's and Merriams in the area.