Proagriocharis (SciiFii)

The pygmy crested turkey (Proagriocharis cristata), also known as the dwarf crested turkey, the pheasant turkey, and the quail turkey, is a species of turkey that originally lived during the Pliocene in what is now Nebraska as an extinct species, Proagriocharis kimballensis, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across central and western United States to help boost biodiversity. The pygmy crested turkey is one of the smallest known living species of turkeys, with adult males ranging in length from 26 to 30 inches and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds. Adult females are smaller, ranging in length from 19 to 23 inches and weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. In these respects, the pygmy crested turkey is comparable in size to the Greater sage-grouse. The pygmy crested turkey is known for its olive-green upper back and wings, deep brown lower back and rump, pale gray tips of its wings and the base of its banded tail feathers, banded black and white underbelly and breasts, a dark, almost black, green neck, a white "mask" over its face, and, as its name suggests, three tall feather crests on its head. Males have taller, more brightly-colored head crests than the females, which have more dull brown head crests. Pygmy crested turkeys are largely vegetarian for much of the year consuming pine nuts, pine shoots, bamboo shoots and seeds. They are highly insectivorous during the warmer months that coincide with nesting and chick-rearing. During this phase of their life cycle they live almost exclusively on insects but also are documented consuming catkins, pollen and fruit. They are one of the few gamebirds that regularly fly uphill and are capable of sustained flights of many miles. They are monogamous with a slight tendency toward social polyandry. Both parents rear the chicks. The conservation status of the pygmy crested turkey is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the pygmy crested turkey's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.