Along the sloping banks of the San Lorenzo Creek in Hayward, steps from the oldest Japanese garden in California, chaos unfolds. The creek is a favorite gathering spot for the Bay Area’s wild turkeys. A few dozen congregate near the stream and in the parking lot, the vibrant males puffed up, their grand tails fanned out as they shriek and strut around. It’s mating season, and they’re showing off. Another noticeable change occurs this time of year, according to Eric Bergquist, a gardener at the Hayward Japanese Garden. “They get the blue and red on their faces and look more turkey-ish,” he said during a phone call with SFGATE.

Similar scenes are playing out across the East Bay as spring approaches: flocks crossing residential streets and lingering in busy intersections in Albany, clustering in Fremont, climbing roofs in Oakland. For some residents, it’s a spectacle. For others, it’s intimidation. 

The tension came to a boiling point last December when an Alameda man was charged with felony animal cruelty after he allegedly shot and killed a turkey on the former naval air station grounds. So what’s behind the surge in the turkey sightings? Are the animals really becoming more aggressive, or are they simply becoming more visible?

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How California got so many turkeys

Turkeys are not native to California. Due to overhunting and habitat loss, the species nearly went extinct at the start of the 20th century in the United States. Various efforts were made to revive their numbers, but it was a 1959 attempt by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that finally took hold, said Christina Tarr of the Golden Gate Bird Alliance during a call with SFGATE. Two........

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