Are hawks (or any raptors) known to group?

I have been observing some hawks, not sure what type, hovering over a baseball/soccer field on my way to, and from, work everyday. I think I have their patterns down pretty good now. They seem to perch in the same set of trees regularly around the same time(s) everyday. What I think is odd is that sometimes it's only 1 or 2, and others I have counted eight (may have been more but it's not easy to count while driving 45mph).

Is it normal for them to travel in groups like that? Is there a particular species known to group together? Maybe it's just a good hunting spot? I haven't stopped to take any pics yet but plan to very soon. Thanks for any help.

group of Turkey Vultures? grab some binoculars and ID those suckers.

You got it! I stopped today on my way home from work to get a closer look. I brought my camera along and was a little disappointed to find out they were Turkey Vultures. Conditions were horrible but I took some shots anyway. This is the best of the bunch. They were soaring overhead so it was tough to get a close shot, this is a center crop.

Rick - They can make for really nice photos if you get good lighting on them to see the feather definition. Nothing wrong with vulture pics!

Yeah, I did a search on here and saw some real nice shots of these. Ugly as they may be. I'm still planning on going back on a nicer day to see if I can get a better shot. Should be easy to get an in-flight shot being as they are so big (up to 6 ft wingspan). They easily fill the frame and I find it easier to lock focus on a large bird, vulture, whatever compared to a small one.

Broad-winged Hawks migrate in groups called "kettles". Numbers can vary from two to thousands.

Harris Hawks are group hunters. A family or pair will work a single prey, making their prey's escape very difficult.

I see family groups in flight. Seldom do I see more than two perched close to one and other.

Nighthound wrote in post #7621398
Seldom do I see more than two perched close to one and other.

This is why I asked the question. I have never seen or heard of hawks that would group like this. I now know (after a little research) that Turkey Vultures most often "roost" together in small to rather large groups. I just never saw a TV up close, besides in pictures. From far away the soaring flight patterns looked like that of a hawk.

Many hawks migrate and do so in groups or "Kettles." Hawk Watch International has a number of locations throughout the country and do annual Fall and Spring migration counts. Here in Corpus Christi, Texas we have one of the premier spots to witness this event. We get many days in September with over 100,000 hawks counted - it is truly something to see. These were all shot at 300mm so you can imagine how full the sky can get with Hawks everywhere.

Kettle of Broad-Winged Hawks.

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Wow that must be a site ^^^^^^^^

I plan to attend a Hawk Watch starting in September in Fort Washington State Park in PA (Militia Hill). They do daily counts of migrating hawks. I think I missed the Spring count. Will be the first time I attend something like this. Looking forward to it. In Sept of 1995 an amazing 13,079 Broad-winged hawks were counted in a single day. Would love to see those numbers, or anything even close.