The Turkey-Hen’s Long Vigil

Transcript

A French priest reported a striking scene with a turkey-hen and her brood. At her sudden alarm cry, the young hid beneath bushes, grass, or other shelter, and lay perfectly still. The priest looked up and saw a distant bird of prey circling overhead. For as long as four hours, the brood stayed hidden. When the predator had disappeared, the hen cried again. At that call, the young sprang up and gathered around her, as though the danger had passed at last.