FEEDING ECOLOGY OF MERRIAMS TURKEYS (MELEAGRIS-GALLOPAVO MERRIAMI) INTHE BLACK-HILLS, SOUTH-DAKOTA

We studied the feeding ecology of Merriam's turkey (Meleagris gallopav o merriami) in the Black Hills, South Dakota, between 1986 and 1989. A dult birds consumed 78 kinds of food, of which four food categories co nstituted >79% of winter diets and six food categories constituted >75 % of summer diets. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seeds were the pre ferred winter food and birds selected habitats where pine seed abundan ce was highest. During drought, ponderosa pine produced fewer seeds an d winter turkey diets were predominantly kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) fruits and herbaceous foliage and seeds. Merriam's turkeys c onsumed more green foliage from late winter through spring. Summer die ts were mostly grass seeds and foliage. Arthropods comprised >60% of t he poult diets. Poults less than or equal to 3 wk old consumed more ar thropods than poults >7 wk old. Grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) were the primary arthropods eaten by poults. Brood hens s elected macrohabitats where arthropod abundance was highest. Poults se lected arthropods with large mass/individual and disregarded some arth ropods that were abundant but with low mass/individual.