So off we walked...
Just two houses down...whoa...we spot a mass quantity of Harris hawks drinking from a large water feature. Several just gave us the 'stink eye' and didn't fly off. They've been hunting around our neighborhood in cooperative groups (two to six) for many years and they're not bothered at all by our presence.
While most raptors are solitary, only coming together for breeding and migration, Harris's hawks will hunt in packs. Presumably, hunting packs are an adaptation to the desert climate. (Heck, that is exactly how desert coyote hunt).
In one hunting technique, a small group flies ahead and scouts, then another group member flies ahead and scouts, and this continues until prey is bagged and shared. In another, all the hawks spread around the prey and one bird flushes it out. I've seen pairs of Cooper's hawks doing this hunting technique.
Sadly, the wild Harris's hawk population is declining due to habitat loss; however, under some circumstances, they have been known to move into developed areas and that may be why we see so many in our northwest neighborhood. Our humble home is nestled at the base of Pusch Ridge mountain range where wilderness and urbanization meet.
Over the years I've taken many images of these beautiful prey birds. Here's a family portrait of the group that lives out back. Ironically, I see them every morning just after I feed the backyard birds. Wink.