Animal Group Terms
One of the craziest oddities of the English language is that there are so many different collective nouns that all mean "group" but which are specific to what particular thing there is a group of: a herd of elephants, a crowd of people, a box of crayons, a pad of paper, etc. There is great diversity of collective nouns associated with animals, from a sleuth of bears to a murder of crows. The following is a list of the correct terms to describe groups of various types of animals.
[via rinkworks.com]
image credit: everythingart.com
[via rinkworks.com]
image credit: everythingart.com
List of Collective Nouns for Animal Groups
List of Collective Nouns for Animal Groups
Messy text version :)
Animal, Group
Alligator ,"bask, congregation "
American Bison (Buffalo) ,herd
Ant ,"army, colony, nest, swarm, byke "
Antelope ,"herd, cluster "
Ape ,"shrewdness, troop "
Ass/Donkey ,"pace, band, drove, herd, coffle "
Baboon ,"troop, tribe, flange, congress "
Badger ,"cete, colony, sett, company "
Bass,shoal
Bat ,"colony, cloud, cauldron "
Bear ,"sleuth, sloth "
Beaver ,"family, colony "
Bee ,"grist, hive, swarm, colony "
Beetle ,swarm
Bird ,"congregation, flock, dissimulation, volary"
Bison ,"herd, troop "
Bittern,"sedge, sledge"
Boar,"pack, singular, sounder"
Butterfly ,"rabble, flight, flutter, swarm "
Buzzard ,wake
Camel ,flock
Cat ,"clowder, cluster, clutter, glaring, pounce, kindle (young) "
Cattle,"herd, drift, drove, mob "
Chamois ,herd
Cheetah ,coalition
Chicken ,"flock, brood, peep "
Chimpanzee,cartload
Clam,bed
Cobra ,quiver
Cockroach ,intrusion
Cormorant ,"gulp, flight "
Coyote ,"pack, train "
Crane ,"herd, sedge, siege "
Crocodile ,"bask, nest, congregation, float "
Crow ,"hover, murder, parcel "
Deer ,"herd, mob, rangale "
Dog ,"pack, litter (young), kennel, gang, legion "
Dogfish ,troop
Dolphin ,"team, school, pod, herd, team, alliance (male), party (female) "
Donkey/Ass,"pace, band, drove, herd, coffle "
Dove ,"cote, flight, dole, dule, piteousness, troop "
Duck ,"flock, brace, bunch (on water), team "
Eagle ,"convocation, brood, aerie "
Eel ,"swarm, cell, pipe "
Elephant ,"herd, flock, parade "
Elk (wapiti) ,"gang, herd "
Emu,mob
Falcon ,gross
Ferret ,business
Finch ,"charm, chirm, trembling, trimming "
Fish ,"school, shoal "
Flamingo ,stand
Fox ,"leash, skulk "
Frog ,bundle
Gerbil ,horde
Giraffe ,"herd, journey, stretch, tower "
Goat ,"herd, mob, tribe "
Goose ,gaggle (skein when in flight)
Gorilla ,"troop, group (band), flange "
Grasshopper,cloud
Greyhound,leash
Grouse,drumming
Guinea pig ,herd
Gull ,flock
Hamster ,horde
Hare ,"band, down "
Hawk ,"cast, kettle, boil "
Hedgehog,array
Heron ,siege
Hippopotamus ,"bloat, crash, herd, thunder "
Hog ,"drift, herd "
Hornet ,swarm
Horse,"herd, harass "
Human ,"crowd, tribe, family, people, wave (young), society "
Hummingbird ,"charm, chattering, drum, hover, troubling "
Hyena ,"clan, cackle "
Jackrabbit,husk
Jackal ,pack
Jay ,"band, party "
Jellyfish ,"smack, bloom, brood, smuth, smuck, fluther "
Kangaroo ,"mob, troop, court "
Ladybug ,Loveliness
Lapwing,deceit
Lark ,exaltation
Leopard ,"leap, lepe "
Lion ,pride
Llama ,"herd, flock "
Lobster ,risk
Locust,plague
Louse ,"colony, infestation, lice "
Loon,"loomery, asylum, cry, dopping, raft, water dance"
Magpie ,"tiding, tittering, gulp, murder, charm, flock "
Mallard ,"sord, lute, brace, puddling, flush "
Manatee ,herd
Marten,richness
Mole ,"labour,company, movement "
Monkey ,"troop, barrel, tribe, cartload "
Moose ,herd
Mosquito ,"scourge, swarm "
Mouse ,"nest, colony, harvest, horde, mischief "
Mule ,"barren, pack, span, rake "
Nightingale ,"watch, flock, route, match "
Ostrich ,"flock, troop "
Otter ,"romp, bevy, lodge, family, raft "
Owl ,"parliament, stare, wisdom "
Ox ,"yoke, team, drove, herd, nye "
Oyster ,"bed, hive, cast, culch "
Panda ,amalgamation
Panther ,"priory, pantheon "
Parrot ,"company, flock, prattle, pandemonium "
Partridge ,covey
Peafowl ,"muster, ostentation, pride "
Pelican ,scoop
Penguin ,"colony, rookery, parade, parcel, crèche, huddle "
Pheasant ,"bouquet, nest, nide, nye, brood, covey "
Pig,"herd, drove, mob "
Pigeon ,"flight, loft, flock, kit "
Polar bear,pack
Polecat ,chine
Pony ,"herd, string "
Porcupine ,prickle
Porpoise,"herd, pod"
Prairie dog,coterie
Quail ,covey
Rabbit ,"warren, nest, colony, bevy, bury, drove, trace "
Raccoon ,nursery
Ram ,flock
Rat ,"colony, horde, pack, plague, swarm "
Rattlesnake,rhumba
Raven ,"unkindness, congress, conspiracy, parliament, murder, storytelling, nevermore "
Reindeer (caribou) ,herd
Rhinoceros ,"crash, herd "
Rook ,"building, parliament "
Salmon,"run, bind"
Sea gull,colony
Sea lion ,"pod, colony, crash, flock, harem, bob, herd, rookery, team, hurdle "
Seal,"colony, herd, pod"
Seastar ,constellation
"Pinniped(seal, walrus, etc) ",same as sea lion
Shark ,"slew, shiver "
Sheep ,"drove, mob, flock, herd "
Skunk ,odor
Snake ,"pit, nest or bed "
Snipe ,"walk, wisp "
Sparrow ,"flight, host, quarrel, tribe, ubiquity "
Spider ,"cluster, clutter "
Squirrel ,"squad, dray, scurry "
Starling,murmuration
Stork,mustering
Swallow ,flight
Swan ,flock
Teal,spring
Thrush,mutation
Tiger ,streak
Toad ,"knot, lump "
Trout,hover
Turkey ,"rafter, flock "
Turtle ,"bale, dule "
Turtledove,"dule, pitying"
Viper,"generation, nest"
Walrus,pod
Weasel ,sneak
Whale ,"gam, pod, herd, school "
Wildfowl ,flock
Wolf ,"pack, rout "
Wombat ,"mob, warren, wisdom, army "
Woodcock,fall
Woodpecker,descent
Worm ,"bed, bunch, clew, squirm "
Wren ,flock
Yak ,herd
Zebra ,"dazzle, herd "
Alligator ,"bask, congregation "
American Bison (Buffalo) ,herd
Ant ,"army, colony, nest, swarm, byke "
Antelope ,"herd, cluster "
Ape ,"shrewdness, troop "
Ass/Donkey ,"pace, band, drove, herd, coffle "
Baboon ,"troop, tribe, flange, congress "
Badger ,"cete, colony, sett, company "
Bass,shoal
Bat ,"colony, cloud, cauldron "
Bear ,"sleuth, sloth "
Beaver ,"family, colony "
Bee ,"grist, hive, swarm, colony "
Beetle ,swarm
Bird ,"congregation, flock, dissimulation, volary"
Bison ,"herd, troop "
Bittern,"sedge, sledge"
Boar,"pack, singular, sounder"
Butterfly ,"rabble, flight, flutter, swarm "
Buzzard ,wake
Camel ,flock
Cat ,"clowder, cluster, clutter, glaring, pounce, kindle (young) "
Cattle,"herd, drift, drove, mob "
Chamois ,herd
Cheetah ,coalition
Chicken ,"flock, brood, peep "
Chimpanzee,cartload
Clam,bed
Cobra ,quiver
Cockroach ,intrusion
Cormorant ,"gulp, flight "
Coyote ,"pack, train "
Crane ,"herd, sedge, siege "
Crocodile ,"bask, nest, congregation, float "
Crow ,"hover, murder, parcel "
Deer ,"herd, mob, rangale "
Dog ,"pack, litter (young), kennel, gang, legion "
Dogfish ,troop
Dolphin ,"team, school, pod, herd, team, alliance (male), party (female) "
Donkey/Ass,"pace, band, drove, herd, coffle "
Dove ,"cote, flight, dole, dule, piteousness, troop "
Duck ,"flock, brace, bunch (on water), team "
Eagle ,"convocation, brood, aerie "
Eel ,"swarm, cell, pipe "
Elephant ,"herd, flock, parade "
Elk (wapiti) ,"gang, herd "
Emu,mob
Falcon ,gross
Ferret ,business
Finch ,"charm, chirm, trembling, trimming "
Fish ,"school, shoal "
Flamingo ,stand
Fox ,"leash, skulk "
Frog ,bundle
Gerbil ,horde
Giraffe ,"herd, journey, stretch, tower "
Goat ,"herd, mob, tribe "
Goose ,gaggle (skein when in flight)
Gorilla ,"troop, group (band), flange "
Grasshopper,cloud
Greyhound,leash
Grouse,drumming
Guinea pig ,herd
Gull ,flock
Hamster ,horde
Hare ,"band, down "
Hawk ,"cast, kettle, boil "
Hedgehog,array
Heron ,siege
Hippopotamus ,"bloat, crash, herd, thunder "
Hog ,"drift, herd "
Hornet ,swarm
Horse,"herd, harass "
Human ,"crowd, tribe, family, people, wave (young), society "
Hummingbird ,"charm, chattering, drum, hover, troubling "
Hyena ,"clan, cackle "
Jackrabbit,husk
Jackal ,pack
Jay ,"band, party "
Jellyfish ,"smack, bloom, brood, smuth, smuck, fluther "
Kangaroo ,"mob, troop, court "
Ladybug ,Loveliness
Lapwing,deceit
Lark ,exaltation
Leopard ,"leap, lepe "
Lion ,pride
Llama ,"herd, flock "
Lobster ,risk
Locust,plague
Louse ,"colony, infestation, lice "
Loon,"loomery, asylum, cry, dopping, raft, water dance"
Magpie ,"tiding, tittering, gulp, murder, charm, flock "
Mallard ,"sord, lute, brace, puddling, flush "
Manatee ,herd
Marten,richness
Mole ,"labour,company, movement "
Monkey ,"troop, barrel, tribe, cartload "
Moose ,herd
Mosquito ,"scourge, swarm "
Mouse ,"nest, colony, harvest, horde, mischief "
Mule ,"barren, pack, span, rake "
Nightingale ,"watch, flock, route, match "
Ostrich ,"flock, troop "
Otter ,"romp, bevy, lodge, family, raft "
Owl ,"parliament, stare, wisdom "
Ox ,"yoke, team, drove, herd, nye "
Oyster ,"bed, hive, cast, culch "
Panda ,amalgamation
Panther ,"priory, pantheon "
Parrot ,"company, flock, prattle, pandemonium "
Partridge ,covey
Peafowl ,"muster, ostentation, pride "
Pelican ,scoop
Penguin ,"colony, rookery, parade, parcel, crèche, huddle "
Pheasant ,"bouquet, nest, nide, nye, brood, covey "
Pig,"herd, drove, mob "
Pigeon ,"flight, loft, flock, kit "
Polar bear,pack
Polecat ,chine
Pony ,"herd, string "
Porcupine ,prickle
Porpoise,"herd, pod"
Prairie dog,coterie
Quail ,covey
Rabbit ,"warren, nest, colony, bevy, bury, drove, trace "
Raccoon ,nursery
Ram ,flock
Rat ,"colony, horde, pack, plague, swarm "
Rattlesnake,rhumba
Raven ,"unkindness, congress, conspiracy, parliament, murder, storytelling, nevermore "
Reindeer (caribou) ,herd
Rhinoceros ,"crash, herd "
Rook ,"building, parliament "
Salmon,"run, bind"
Sea gull,colony
Sea lion ,"pod, colony, crash, flock, harem, bob, herd, rookery, team, hurdle "
Seal,"colony, herd, pod"
Seastar ,constellation
"Pinniped(seal, walrus, etc) ",same as sea lion
Shark ,"slew, shiver "
Sheep ,"drove, mob, flock, herd "
Skunk ,odor
Snake ,"pit, nest or bed "
Snipe ,"walk, wisp "
Sparrow ,"flight, host, quarrel, tribe, ubiquity "
Spider ,"cluster, clutter "
Squirrel ,"squad, dray, scurry "
Starling,murmuration
Stork,mustering
Swallow ,flight
Swan ,flock
Teal,spring
Thrush,mutation
Tiger ,streak
Toad ,"knot, lump "
Trout,hover
Turkey ,"rafter, flock "
Turtle ,"bale, dule "
Turtledove,"dule, pitying"
Viper,"generation, nest"
Walrus,pod
Weasel ,sneak
Whale ,"gam, pod, herd, school "
Wildfowl ,flock
Wolf ,"pack, rout "
Wombat ,"mob, warren, wisdom, army "
Woodcock,fall
Woodpecker,descent
Worm ,"bed, bunch, clew, squirm "
Wren ,flock
Yak ,herd
Zebra ,"dazzle, herd "
An Exaltation of Larks
The Ultimate Edition
An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 12/22/2009)
For word lovers everywhere, a classic anthology of collective nouns--now vastly expanded and with a new introduction. Infectious in spirit, beautifully illustrated with over 250 witty engravings by Granville, Durer, and other artists, this work is a word lover's garden of delights.
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Reply
- Themiscorkscrew Themiscorkscrew Dec 4, 2009 @ 7:26 pm
- Group of baboons referred to as congres... interesting. 5 stars!
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Reply
- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Nov 12, 2009 @ 10:22 am
- A "nursery" of raccoons? The ones who take over our backyard every summer behave more romplike. Excellent list!
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Nov 12, 2009 @ 7:39 am
- Some of these "collective" nouns are down right curious and interesting -- I could see having several polls or quizzes to see if readers could match them up properly. Ah, food for thought.
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Reply
- _Joan_ _Joan_ Nov 7, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
- Hi! I'm adding this to my lensography of animal education lenses.
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Reply
- WindyWinters WindyWinters Jul 10, 2009 @ 7:26 pm
- Great Idea for a Lens! Gaggle of geese is my favorite. Geese fly over our home during the day (from the [saltwater] inlet) to feed on grain in the farmer's fields. :)
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Reply
- aj2008 aj2008 Jul 9, 2009 @ 7:20 am
- My favourite has always been a "murder of crows" - it always makes me think of a group of nasty women having a gossip about some poor unfortunate soul!
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