Gravy, an infamous Middletown turkey known for chasing cars through busy intersections, has been relocated for the second time this year.
After Gravy was hit by a car in January, he spent a few weeks in recovery at Congress of the Birds, a wildlife rehabilitation center and clinic. But after being rehabilitated and released, Gravy went right back to approaching vehicles.
Car accidents are some of the most common injuries for large ground birds, Sheida Soleimani, founder and executive director of the Congress of the Birds, wrote in an email to The Herald. After his January accident, Gravy was brought into their clinic and fully rehabilitated before the center deemed him strong enough to return to the streets, Soleimani explained.
Gravy was then reintroduced “within its home range in (a) suitable habitat with established flocks, roosting trees, water and food, consistent with our policy,” Evan LaCross, a spokesperson for Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, wrote in an email to The Herald.
LaCross attributed Gravy’s car-seeking habit to “dominance behavior.” Because Gravy can see his own reflection in cars, he likely perceives himself as a rival mate, LaCross noted.
During their mating season in the spring, males can become “more assertive,” Solemani explained. “This is normal and is ‘display’ behavior, not aggression in the way people think.”
After Gravy decided to return to the roads following his release, RIDEM recaptured him on Friday “to protect both the bird and public safety,” LaCross wrote.
Gravy has also become a social media celebrity after videos of him chasing approaching vehicles went viral last summer, which further complicated release efforts.
“Because the bird attracts significant public attention, DEM staff conducted the release to protect the turkey and to respect nearby residents’ privacy,” LaCross wrote.
“People are just drawn to something that feels fun and harmless,” Middletown resident Carrie Oakey, who grew up near where Gravy has roamed, wrote in a message to The Herald about why Gravy has garnered so much attention.
Oakey runs an Instagram account that posts Gravy updates — she was also the person who originally gave Gravy his name in a Middletown Facebook group chat.
“I feel bad because obviously Gravy is extremely confused,” Oakey wrote. “All he’s ever really known is the street.”
According to Soleimani, it is common for animals like wild turkeys to live in cities.
When it comes to the College Hill Turkey — a separate juvenile male who often can be found near the John D. Rockefeller Library or the Providence Athenaeum — Soleimani added that residents should avoid feeding or approaching him. But she emphasized that relocation from College Hill “doesn’t ‘solve’ the problem” and would create “stress, disorientation, and risk for the bird.”
“The work is less about pushing them out, and more about learning how to share space responsibly — reducing harm while allowing them to remain wild,” Soleimani wrote.
“I think Gravy blew up because he brings people together,” Oakey wrote. “Everyone can laugh at the same thing, and in a world that feels heavy sometimes, that kind of simple, funny moment really goes a long way.”
