Homer Simpson once commented that turkeys are the only animals smarter than man. He was wrong, of course — there are probably others. But turkeys and people do share a very special bond, if not that of I.Q. The wild turkey is a highly recognizable, living symbol of our legendary beginnings as a country. More than most creatures, turkeys seem part of our American heritage — both gobbling in our woods and roasting in our ovens. And in the last few decades, wild turkeys, Melagris gallopavo, have been making a comeback in the Chicago Wilderness.

Before European settlers came, wild turkeys thrived in open woodlands east of the Mississippi. But due to market hunting and habitat loss, turkeys became uncommon in this area by the Civil War. The dry woods deep within the Grand Kankakee Marsh held the last recorded flock of local wild turkeys in the 1880s, and by the time legal protection for wildlife came in the 20th century, they were gone.

Reintroduction efforts began almost as soon as the wild turkeys had disappeared. Between 1929 and 1970, private landowners, hunting clubs, and state officials released 4,000 farm turkeys into the Wisconsin wilderness. Unfortunately, the farm-raised turkeys failed to reproduce. It wasn't until the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released wild turkeys from the Ozarks that the Wisconsin flocks again prospered.

The State of Illinois began their turkey reintroduction project in 1956 with the release of 65 wild-trapped birds into the Shawnee Forest. Since 1970, more than 4,700 turkeys have been trapped and moved through 99 of 102 counties in Illinois.

Today, because of this progressive, hands-on management, local wild turkeys are thriving. Groups of 20 to 30 turkeys, called "rafters," have been seen by increasing numbers of wildlife observers throughout the region. Turkeys are happily living at Glacial Park (McHenry County), Van Patten Woods (Lake County, Illinois), and the Palos preserves (Cook County).

State researchers have learned that wild turkeys can adapt to smaller plots, with a greater variety in tree cover, than previously thought — an important factor for survival in our fragmented urban landscape. Shy and elusive, they travel frequently, using rivers as corridors for dispersal.

At times, domesticated turkeys have escaped captivity and taken up residence in natural areas. These feral populations often have been confused with true wild turkeys, but one easy feature gives away the difference: the tail of our local wild turkey is tipped with chestnut brown, while the domesticated bird's tail has white tips.

Turkeys, in general, have an undeservedly poor reputation. Their name has become synonymous with "dolt," and numerous urban legends demean their mental and physical capabilities. These stories may accurately describe the "engineered" farm turkeys we eat, but the wild ones are wary, muscular animals that run fast and fly faster (clocked at 55 miles per hour!). They have excellent color eyesight and can spot movement across the length of a football field. A big male tom turkey has good reason to strut: He can stand nearly four feet tall and weigh more than 40 pounds, with iridescent feathers and a naked, blue head.

Wild turkeys live where there are nut-bearing trees — acorns and hickory nuts provide a large part of their diet. They will eagerly gobble large insects as well. Turkeys forage on the ground primarily at dusk and dawn, swallowing nuts whole and crushing the shells in their powerful gizzards. The remarkable strength of the gizzard cannot be exaggerated. Several bizarre 18th-century experiments proved turkeys were capable of pulverizing glass balls, grinding 12 steel needles, and flattening metal tubes with over 400 pounds of pressure within their gizzard.

The successful return of the wild turkey is due in large part to the time, energy, and money invested by many thousands of people, a great many of them hunters. The Illinois Natural History Survey and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have provided much of the staff and scientific expertise, while the 38,000 Illinois members of the National Wild Turkey Federation have donated $1.6 million toward habitat protection and turkey restoration projects.

Nature teaches that all strands in the web of life are ecologically vital and important. But some organisms are special. Turkeys bring an extra helping of enjoyment and richness to our lives. They're back in the neighborhood, and it's time to celebrate.

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The writer, Jack MacRae, is a naturalist with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. He is a descendent of Richard Warren, of the Mayflower, who, according to legend, enjoyed turkey at Plymouth.