This is the time of year when I typically write my Thanksgiving column on wild turkeys. This year, however, instead of sharing facts about wild turkeys, I’m going to do something a little different.

I got to thinking about what other birds are associated with Thanksgiving. I couldn’t think of any off the top of my head because the turkey completely dominates the modern Thanksgiving holiday. Instead of giving up, I turned to the internet, and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint.

While no other birds stuck out in terms of being linked to today’s harvest holiday, several birds surfaced as being associated with the original Thanksgiving. In fact, wild turkeys were either no part or only a small part of the original Thanksgiving, according to most sources.

National Public Radio writes on its website that deer, or venison, was likely the main course for the original Thanksgiving in 1621, a several-day celebration among the pilgrims and Wampanoag. NPR even got so detailed as to write that the Wampanoag brought five deer with them. Other likely courses, according to NPR, include migrating ducks and geese.

The National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and debate about the U.S. Constitution, goes much further in a blog on its website. In addition to turkey, duck and goose, other birds on the menu likely included swan and passenger pigeon. Passenger pigeons were once so plentiful that, according to John J. Audubon, “the flocks, during the flight, darken the heavens.” It was believed at the time to be an “endless natural bounty.” Sadly, passenger pigeons are now extinct.

Chicken, by the way, was not a common meat eaten back then. It was hard to come by and expensive until hundreds of years later.

Eels, fish and shellfish were also likely on the table as side dishes. “Another possible side dish was seal,” the article states. I don’t know about you, but I had never heard of eels or seals being part of the first Thanksgiving feast.

According to MaineLobsterNow.com – I know, a strange website to be writing about the history of Thanksgiving dinner – there is no written record of what the original feast included. The guesses for what was likely on the table come from historians speculating based on documented accounts and available local ingredients.

Because the feast was held close to the coast, the website presumes that fish such as bass and cod, as well as clams, mussels and lobster were also served. In Colonial times, according to many sources, lobster was overly abundant and considered a food for the poor. It was allegedly served to prisoners because other people did not want to eat it. Lobster, of course, is now a cherished luxury food and their numbers have unfortunately plummeted. Imagine being able to walk to the shore and fill your bag with as many free lobsters as you want.

I’m surprised I didn’t see any references to birds such as ruffed grouse, American woodcock or snipe. They are popular game birds even today and were likely much more abundant in Colonial times. Until recently, ruffed grouse were common throughout New England. Now, they have disappeared from some parts of southern New England, although they remain fairly common elsewhere in the region.

As longtime readers of this column know, ducks are a favorite type of bird for me to watch. I can only imagine how different a fall duck migration was hundreds of years ago. Now that I know ducks were likely part of the original Thanksgiving feast, I want to know what kinds of ducks were eaten. I guess we can only speculate since there aren’t any historical records of the menu.

Maybe that’s a column for another time. Perhaps next year. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I appreciate your continued support of For the Birds.