Turkey Vulture or Black Vulture?

     Sometimes people call them buzzards, but the big, black birds you see feeding on roadkill are vultures.  New Jersey is home to the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture.  Black Vultures, primarily a southern bird, are less common.
     The Black Vulture is a little smaller than the Turkey Vulture.  As the name indicates, it is black in color with white patches on the wings that are only visible when the wings are open.  The Turkey vulture has a black head when young and a red head when mature.  Turkey vultures like Black Vultures are easier to identify when they have their wings open.  The two birds also have different habits when they fly.
     Mike and I were out riding our bicycles when we saw a vulture sitting on the peak of a house.  It was searching for it's next meal.  Vultures are classified as birds of prey, but they rarely hunt and kill their food.  They prefer to find something that is already dead, then feast on the carcass.

Here's our guy on the roof of the house.  I think he's looking for lunch.

Look left.

Look right.

The bird's head is black.  Since the bird is not in flight, identification is difficult.  It could be a young Turkey Vulture whose head had not changed from black to red.  It could also be a Black Vulture.      

    

     This guy stayed on the roof for a long time.  We watched him for at least one hour.  We have been back every day since, but we have not seen our creepy friend.