# huge frickin birds in my yard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632 "2003-05-26T21:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/21 "2003-05-28T00:58:52Z")
Actually, there ARE ravens in New Jersey. There is a pair with a territory near Kusar Natural Area at High Point State Park. But unless you’re in the extreme northwest part of New Jersey, I wouldn’t consider ravens high on the list. And there are plenty of Black Vultures here, especially around the Lambertville area and along the Delaware and toward the southern part of the state. I most often see them traveling on Route 29. If it has a short tail and goes flap, flap, flap…soar…flap, flap, flap…soar…, it’s likely a Black Vulture. Turkey Vultures just don’t flap that rhythmically. Black Vultures will often be seen in the company of Turkey Vultures, but their flap (generally 3 at a time)/soar, short tail, and white “window panes” at the wing tips are dead giveaways. Our Jersey vultures do seem to have a propensity for roosting around houses. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/22 "2003-05-28T23:29:08Z")
Oh now youse talkin’ 'bout dem _joisey_ vultures. Dey ain’t 'fraida nuttin. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BlueMit11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@BlueMit11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMit11)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/23 "2003-05-28T23:37:35Z")
I work at an airport and the weirdest thing happened the other day with two vultures. They were trying to board the plane and they had two dead raccoons. I asked them if they would like to check them as baggage and they said no, that they were carrion. ---
**Author:** ![crteak2012](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@crteak2012](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crteak2012)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/24 "2013-12-23T15:56:51Z")
They are ravens. The raven is found throughout Europe & North America…even Central America. For some reason they avoid the FL and GA area. They have a large wing span, and a triangular shaped tail. Being omnivores, they eat meat (from dead animals), greens, bugs, snakes, etc. Small dogs should be watched when outside, if they are known to be in the area. They have a long and storied history, part myth, legend and fable. As a reasonably intelligent bird, they can learn to make use of other animals and also to manipulate certain objects. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/25 "2013-12-23T17:43:48Z")
> [@crteak2012](#): > > They are ravens. No, they weren’t. The OP confirmed that the birds he saw were black vultures more than 10 years ago. I don’t think they have transformed into ravens since.😉 Ravens have become much more common in eastern North America in recent years, and are now even found in New York City, but these particular birds were vultures. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/26 "2013-12-23T17:50:02Z")
> [@BlueMit11](#): > > I work at an airport and the weirdest thing happened the other day with two vultures. > They were trying to board the plane and they had two dead raccoons. I asked them if they would like to check them as baggage and they said no, that they were carrion. Bad, Bad, Bad… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/27 "2013-12-23T17:53:13Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Bad, Bad, Bad… 😃 That joke has got to be at least ten years old. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/28 "2013-12-24T04:36:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That joke has got to be at least ten years old. Yeah, but it’s somehow appropriate that we have a zombie thread with vultures and ravens. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/29 "2013-12-24T17:46:15Z")
> [@astro](#): > > A murder of crows should suffice. Why is it called a “murder of crows”? Anyone who has them in their neighborhood knows that they should be called a “caucus of crows”. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632/30 "2013-12-24T22:12:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That joke has got to be at least ten years old. Well this thread is older than that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huge-frickin-birds-in-my-yard/177632.md?page=1)