Turkeys and chickens have both white and dark meat, the lightness or darkness depending on the amount of myoglobin content in the muscle. Higher amounts of the red-pigmented myoglobin are found in muscles that are used more frequently, such as those of the thighs and drumsticks. Since domesticated chickens and turkeys do almost no flying, their little-used breast meat is white. Wild birds such as ducks have darker breast meat because they actually use the muscles for flying.
