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BRUCE BENNETT<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
A wild turkey named Astoria has been strutting past skyscrapers, surviving blizzards and navigating crosswalks across Manhattan for more than a year.<\/p>\n
Her journey from Queens to the concrete jungle has earned her a devoted fan base that stretches far beyond the five boroughs.<\/p>\n
Astoria was first spotted in Queens in April 2024, seen in the Astoria neighborhood that would become her namesake. After spending roughly a month there, she moved on to Midtown \u2014 a destination that would surprise even seasoned New York birders.<\/p>\n
Barrett explained that wild turkeys can fly quickly but only over short distances, comparing them more to sprinters than long-distance flyers. That sprint carried Astoria across the East River, landing her on Roosevelt Island, where local residents helped look after her. Three women paid her regular visits.<\/p>\n
But Roosevelt Island couldn\u2019t contain her either. Officers who responded were unable to capture Astoria after she crossed back over the river, and she has since been spotted on the East Side near 59th Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s much loved, Astoria has fans all over Manhattan, all over the world,\u201d birder David Barrett said, per ABC7<\/a>.<\/p>\n Astoria Is Manhattan\u2019s Feathered Celebrity<\/p>\n The turkey has covered extraordinary ground across the borough. She was seen in Sutton Place, Park Avenue and the area near the SeaGlass Carousel near the Staten Island Ferry terminal. In April 2025, The New York Times<\/a> reported that Astoria was spotted walking around the Financial District during a blizzard \u2014 however, she appeared to not be bothered by the snow.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s like a celebrity. I don\u2019t blame her; she is. I couldn\u2019t get enough of her,\u201d spectator Omar Santos said.<\/p>\n Andy Eller happened to be walking by as Astoria plotted her route. He had never seen her before.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s gorgeous,\u201d Eller said. \u201cShe\u2019s very polite, just kind of minding her own business.\u201d<\/p>\n Another passerby noticed Astoria and, startled, muttered to no one in particular, \u201cLook at that thing. What in the world?\u201d<\/p>\n