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The game has got a number of birds flying around, especially around Solitude. I've always wondered whether they're just "flavour" or whether one could get ingredients from them.
I've tried killing the birds but have never been successful, whether by shouts, spells or arrows.
Anyone knows? Thanks.

Indeed, you can kill them. They yield hawk beaks and feathers.

The Dawnguard DLC adds Bone hawks which give Bone hawk feathers, claws and skulls. The Dragonborn DLC adds Felsaad terns that yield Felsaad tern feathers.

Thanks. Any tips on how to do it? It is even more difficult than catching dragonflies (or dartwings, if you prefer), for me.

According to the wiki they'll die if affected by Animal Allegiance or Kyne's Peace (weird). If you don't have those Shouts you could try finding their nests and kill them when they are roosting.

OK thanks. Never found their nests or caught them roosting.

if you have the archery perk (or shout) which slows time, shooting them is a lot easier, i usually wait until they are lowish to the ground though

or a pair of spammed firebolt staffs used like anti aircraft battery works as well

I never use archery (except to set of tripwires) but I managed to shoot down the ones flying over Solitude with not too many tries, so you should be good to get those ones with that method.

For the ones around the East Empire Company Warehouse below Solitude, try shooting them from atop the road above the dock so you're engaging them horizontally rather than shooting up at the sky.

Another funny thing is that they'll die when hit by an Illusion spell that does no damage. I once cast Harmony in an area where a couple of hawks were circling overhead, and they just started dropping out of the sky. The best way I've found to hit them is with a lightning spell, since it strikes instantly and is easy to aim.

According to the wiki though, once they respawn they can't be killed. Which kind of sucks, as there aren't too many reliable sources of the ingredients they drop.

Tell me about it...I had one hawk flying around Lakeview Manor, with about dozen of arrows hanging from it.

Aarah wrote:I never use archery (except to set of tripwires) but I managed to shoot down the ones flying over Solitude with not too many tries, so you should be good to get those ones with that method.

Gets a little hard when you start but eventually you master the art of hunt.

Hunting in game birds will increase your reflexes, mind-eye coordination and visual perception.

Nah. It just teaches you about the 'Big Sky' theory that vexes anti-aircraft gunners and the 'Golden BB' that flyboys dread.

I always feel too bad about killing them to try anyway. Which is funny, considering some of the characters I play.

They're hawks, and they have a pretty wide hit box. I shoot arrows and spells that look like they're gonna miss, but the things fall dead every time. The Thu'um is a focal point of the game, and most players learn at least one or two Shouts, and those work just as well.