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.
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.
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.
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.
