So I know Solitude seems to have the most flocks and I've taken a few shots with a bow and arrow, but they would always miss even if I tried to anticipate their flight paths. And the flock just over the bridge in Riverwood that you can hear. I snuck around for 10 mins. trying to locate them, but couldn't find them.

Why would you kill birds?

The most easiest way to shoot the birds is if you have the lightning storm spell. Seems to work for me, but the problem is that they don't go down

The flock of birds at Riverwood is just an animation,you can't shoot them.
For the hawks in Solitude,and elsewhere,try the deadly aim perk it helps a little.
Mostly it just takes practice and a little luck.

Also if you can get to around the same hight as they are,look for the guard towers in Solitude,it seems to take away some of that 3D aiming you need to do.

They do go down(I've seen one on the ground). Just don't know by what means.

The ones just across the river towards Whiterun are real. If you are that interested, then those birds (or a couple of them anyway) roost in the tall pines nearby at night. Aim an arrow at the pale patches.

Then I guess I'm experiencing yet another glitch

Lightning as said above works best, since it is much faster than arrows you only need to put a small lead on the bird.

Solitude docks are the easiest place to shoot the birds.

Can someone mod in a Krieghoff shotgun so I can shoot those pheasant?

I remember seeing a vid on YT a while back from this dude showing off he was shooting birds like it was nothing. lol.

He was in Morthal though for most of the clips, try there? Otherwise I don't really try stuff like that.. waste of an arrow IMO. Bad enough Dragons are a pain to hit with arrows sometimes and they're HUGE compared to birds, lmao.

I'm good..

Udey is right about solitude and lightning.
but the problem is that, if you do hit it, it sometimes land outside solitude or by the walls surrounding solitude. its harder to spot those darn hawks if there dead, cause the animation is a little troublesome. what that meant is that, the hawk lying in the ground dead looks like its parallel to the ground. so its not like if you killed a dear where there is a small bulge in the ground where the dead animal is lying. but its just so weird cause its just so flat and looks really parallel.

Check out that place where you help Sinding kill the hunters. If you climb up to the top of the stone structure behind the altar, there's a hawk nest right there. Simply wait a bit and the hawk will land. They fly on a circuit.

The hawks in Solitude can be shot down for their beaks and feathers. However, they will appear flying again, and will be immortal for a while. YOu will see your arrows sticking out of them and they don't die. Basically they are rendered again before they can be shot down again.

You can get some on nests, these ones can be shot out of their nests. There are a couple of nests near bleak falls barrow, one in a tree and one on the mountain that can be shot down while on the top of the tower. There are probably more nest around, but I've not found any yet.

I've shot quite a few of the Solitude hawks out of the air with a bow and arrow. It just takes some patience.

Three words.

Yol, Toor, Shul.

In Stormcloak Skyrim bird shoot you!

I dont think I have ever seen a hawk in a nest. I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for that!