A Good Samaritan thought it was a quail. Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA staff weren’t sure either, but have settled on "turken," and he (or she?) is available for adoption at PHS/SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion at 1450 Rollins Rd. in Burlingame. The adoption fee is $10.
The name "turken" would suggest that the bird is a cross between a turkey and a chicken, but that is largely due to the bird’s appearance and is not the case. It is actually a type of chicken called a Naked Neck or Transylvania Naked Neck common in Europe, but rare in North America.
This turken was found in East Palo Alto on October 7 by a resident who called PHS/SPCA to provide assistance for an injured baby quail; the bird had a large wound under one wing, and one eye swollen shut. After a few weeks of antibiotics and treatment at PHS/SPCA, the “naked neck” has fully recovered and became available for adoption today.
The turken, named “Timmy,” is approximately two months old and very friendly.
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