I’ve seen turkeys flying low, just a few feet off the water surface, across Tablerock lake (MO/Arkansas) getting ready to roost for the evening. And that’s a big lake.
Don’t feel sorry for them. These are lazy turkeys.
I’ve seen dozens in tall treetops along the CT coast. They didn’t climb there...
The operative term is LOW. And you're talking about WILD turkeys, who do have a limited ability to fly. Domestic turkeys are bred to put meat on their breasts and have no opportunity to build up flight muscles. They can barely walk with the way they've been bred, let alone fly. So you can't compare apples to oranges.