This is an interesting question that deserves some investigation. At first glance, one might wonder what honeysuckles and turkeys have to do with each other. Honeysuckles are flowering vines or shrubs, while turkeys are large birds. However, there are some connections between the two that make this question worth exploring.
What are honeysuckles?
Honeysuckles are woody, flowering plants in the genus Lonicera. There are around 200 species of honeysuckles, most of which are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Many honeysuckle species are important garden plants, grown for their attractive, sweetly-scented flowers. Some common species include Lonicera periclymenum (common honeysuckle), Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), and Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle).
Honeysuckles produce tubular or two-lipped flowers that typically bloom in the spring or summer. The flowers attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees with their colorful, fragrant blooms. After flowering, honeysuckles produce red, blue, or black berry-like fruits that are eaten and dispersed by birds and small mammals.
In addition to their ornamental value, some honeysuckle species have edible flowers and medicinal uses. The nectar can be sucked from the flowers for a sweet treat, leading to the common name “honeysuckle.” Traditional Chinese medicine uses honeysuckle flowers and leaves to treat illnesses like influenza, skin infections, and sore throats.
What are turkeys?
Turkeys are large domesticated birds that are part of the Galliformes order, which also includes grouse, chickens, quail, and pheasants. There are two species of turkey:
- Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) – This is the wild ancestor of the domestic turkey, native to North America. Wild turkeys have iridescent bronze-green feathers.
- Domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus) – This is the domestic descendant of the wild turkey, bred for food production. Domestic turkeys are larger and white-feathered.
Turkeys are omnivorous, eating a combination of plant matter and small insects or animals. Their natural diet consists of seeds, nuts, berries, grasses, and leafy greens. On farms, turkeys are fed corn, soy, and other grain feeds. They have a long, muscular neck and a distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the throat.
Male turkeys, called toms, are larger than females (called hens) and have showy tail feathers they use to attract mates. Turkeys nest on the ground, and the hatchlings (called poults) are able to walk and feed themselves soon after birth. Commercial turkeys are bred to grow very fast and large for meat production.
Connections between honeysuckles and turkeys
Now that we have reviewed some background on honeysuckles and turkeys, we can look at some of the connections between the two that may influence whether honeysuckles are “good” for turkeys.
Habitat and range
Wild turkeys and some honeysuckle species share overlapping habitats and natural ranges. Wild turkeys are found throughout North America in forests, fields, and thickets. Many honeysuckle species like Lonicera canadensis (American fly honeysuckle) and Lonicera villosa (mountain fly honeysuckle) are native to North American forests and meadows. This means wild turkeys likely encounter honeysuckle plants and flowers in their natural environment.
Food source
The fruits of honeysuckle plants may provide a food source for turkeys. Turkeys are omnivorous, so they eat both plant and animal material, including seeds, berries, leaves, grasses, insects, and more. Ripe honeysuckle berries would be a tasty treat for foraging turkeys.
Some honeysuckle species have poisonous berries, like Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle) which has red berries containing toxic saponins. However, other species like Lonicera caerulea (blueberry honeysuckle) have edible blue berries similar to blueberries. These nutritious fruits would be a beneficial food item in the turkeys’ diverse diet if they are not toxic varieties.
Cover and shelter
The dense growth form of honeysuckle vines and shrubs provides excellent cover for turkeys. When moving through their home range, turkeys look for protective cover from predators and the elements. They roost in trees and tall shrubs at night and nest on the ground under vegetation.
Honeysuckle thickets would offer prime shelter, hiding places, and nesting sites. The vines growing up into trees provide an overhead canopy and leafy shelter. Ground-level honeysuckle shrubs conceal the turkeys as they travel through the landscape.
Medicinal properties
The bioactive compounds found in some honeysuckle flowers and leaves, like antioxidants and flavonoids, may have medicinal properties for turkeys if consumed. Traditional Chinese medicine uses honeysuckle to treat colds, flu, fever, skin irritations, and other ailments. It is possible turkeys may derive similar benefits if they eat the flowers or foliage.
More research is needed, but the nutrients in honeysuckle flowers like vitamin C could support a healthy immune system. The anti-inflammatory compounds may soothe irritated skin or throats. These medicinal properties would be most relevant for domestic turkeys living in close quarters on farms where illnesses can spread quickly.
Risks and Downsides
However, there are also some potential risks and downsides to turkeys interacting with or consuming honeysuckle plants:
Toxic varieties
As mentioned above, some honeysuckle berries are poisonous to humans and animals due to high levels of saponins. Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) in particular contains toxic berries and is considered an invasive pest plant in North America. If turkeys eat the berries of toxic honeysuckle species, they could get sick or die. Proper identification of honeysuckle species is important.
Invasive, aggressive growth
Some honeysuckle species are highly invasive, especially Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Their rampant growth can crowd out native plants that may have provided better food and habitat for turkeys. Dense honeysuckle cover may hinder turkey movement and limit their access to more nutritious natural forage.
Ecosystem disruption
Invasive honeysuckles often establish monotypic stands covering large areas. This displaces diverse native plants, reduces food and habitat for local wildlife, and disrupts the natural ecosystem balance. For example, aggressive honeysuckle growth has been linked to declines in nesting songbirds, which turkeys may also prey upon for food.
Chemical treatments
Poisonous herbicides or insecticides may be applied to control rampant growth of invasive honeysuckles. But these chemicals could have unintended consequences for turkeys or other wildlife frequenting the area. The impacts of chemical treatments should be carefully considered.
Farm safety issues
On poultry farms, the potential benefits of honeysuckle as feed or medicine for domestic turkeys are outweighed by safety concerns. Any unknown plants pose a risk of contamination or toxicity. Introducing vegetation to farm turkey housing also increases risks of attracting pests, microbes, or pathogens. Strict control of feed regulation, sanitation, and housing access points is critical in commercial facilities to prevent disease outbreaks.
Conclusion
In natural settings, native species of honeysuckle likely coexist well with wild turkeys and provide a supplemental food source plus shelter and medicinal compounds through their flowers, fruits, and foliage. However, invasive, toxic honeysuckle varieties can potentially sicken or kill turkeys. Rampant growth of non-native plants also disrupts local ecosystems in ways that may negatively impact turkeys.
On poultry farms, honeysuckles pose too many risks to be intentionally introduced around domestic turkeys. But minimal, controlled contact with some parts of honeysuckle plants may provide health benefits. Much more research is needed to determine if certain honeysuckle species, plant components, and doses could be used constructively as feed supplements or botanical medicines for farmed turkeys. Safety considerations related to biosecurity and toxicity would need to be thoroughly addressed.
In conclusion, whether honeysuckles are “good” for turkeys depends on the species, growth context, habitat, and degree of interaction or consumption. Honeysuckles form complex ecological relationships with turkeys that do not have simple answers. Caution is warranted with invasive honeysuckles, toxic varieties, and unstudied medicinal uses. But in balance, honeysuckles appear to play a largely beneficial role for wild turkeys through their flowers, fruits, and sheltering foliage. Like most things in nature, the connections are nuanced.
References
Wild Turkeys. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wild_Turkey
Honeysuckle. University of Illinois Extension. https://extension.illinois.edu/hortihints/0005
Edible Honeysuckle and Medicinal Uses. Sustainable Gardening. https://www.sustainable-gardening.com/plants/edible-landscaping/edible-honeysuckle
Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Lonicera japonica Thunb. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26838049/
Invasive Bush Honeysuckles. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/loni1.htm
Points to Consider for Invasive Plant Management: Bush Honeysuckles. The Nature Conservancy. https://www.invasive.org/gist/products/library/docs/PointstoConsider.pdf
Medicinal traits of Lonicera spp. in Turkey: A review of ethnobotanical surveys and potential uses. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874121010193