With the possible exception of a single bird that Samuel de Champlain chased through the woods near the present site of Kingston in 1615, wild turkeys have never existed in the eastern half of southern Ontario. At least, that's what the research of Bud Andress, senior park warden at St. Lawrence Islands National Park, shows.

And they certainly never existed around Noelville north of the French River, where they were released by the Ministry of Natural Resources five years ago to see if they could survive harsh winters.

In fact, according to Andress, historical accounts show that they existed only in the western half of southern Ontario, and that they were eliminated by 1902 through hunting and habitat destruction. Now there are more than 25,000 wild turkeys ranging throughout all of southern Ontario, all of them descendants of 274 turkeys obtained by the ministry from the United States and released between 1984 and 1987.

One of the prime reasons for bringing the turkeys into Ontario was to give hunters something to shoot. As the ministry proudly claims in an information bulletin, turkey hunters spend almost $2 million a year "on travel, supplies, and services directly connected with turkey hunting in Ontario."

In the eastern half, they fit the definition of an invasive species, but is that necessarily a bad thing, especially in these days of global warming when many species are expanding their ranges?

Invasive species, such as Manitoba maple trees, are generally disliked for fear that they might crowd out native species. But so far there are no reports of harmful effects. In fact, the turkeys seem to have struck up a cooperative relationship with deer. They'll browse together. With the turkey's sharp hearing and eyesight, and its 300-degree range of vision, and the deer's keen sense of smell they're quick to identify threats. During winter, deer will paw away snow to get at food, and allow turkeys to hop into the hole to feed beside them.

So what was it that Champlain saw? He reported that the bird was yellow, except for a red head and blue wings, had a beak like a parrot, and flew in short bursts like a partridge. So intent was he on chasing it, that he became lost for three days before his men found him.

There's been speculation that the bird he saw was a wild turkey. Males are dark brown in colour with glittering metallic reflections of coppery bronze which, at certain angles to the light, will give flashes of metallic red and green. However, Andress discounts the speculation, since there are no other accounts of turkeys in the area over the ensuing 350 years.

But now that they've been introduced, it's been good news for predators. Although wild turkeys can live 9 to 12 years, the average life expectancy is only about 18 months. Fewer than half of the turkey eggs survive to hatch, and a high percentage of the chicks are killed during their first two weeks.

Every now and then, I'll see a flock of 20 or more hens and youngsters bobbing along in a clearing, and it's always a delight to watch them. It astonishes me how quickly they can burst into flight when I startle them while walking in the woods. Even though they're so big — males weigh 4.5 to 7.7 kilograms, and females weigh 3.1 to 4.9 kilograms — they can manoeuvre around trees apparently as easily as grouse.

So, I don't care if the reason for introducing them wasn't for the purest of motives, nor, for once, am I concerned that they are invasive. I'm just glad that they're here.