Collective Nouns
for Groups of Animals
article and most images by Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Here are some collective nouns for animal groups, each illustrated with a photograph. Some are odd. Some are familiar. And some are funny. The oldest date back to hunting terms. How many more do you know?
Turn this into a learning game–for kids and/or adults. Print out the entries; then cut them into cards; then test each other to see how many you can get right.
a congregation of alligators
a covey of ants
a congress of baboons
a troop of baboons
a cauldron of bats
a cloud of bats
a colony of bats
a creche of baby bats
a band of bears
a grist of bees
a swarm of bees
a flock of birds
a herd of buffalo
a flight of butterflies
a flutter of butterflies
a kaleidoscope of butterflies
a shimmer of butterflies
a caravan of camels
a clowder of cats
a clutter of cats
a nuisance of cats
a peep of chickens
a brood of hens
a funk of cows
a kine of cows
a cast of crabs
a consortium of crabs
a murder of crows
a charm of dolphins
a coalition of bachelor dolphins
a waddle of dodos
a dole of doves
a paddling of doves
a pitying of turtle doves
a brace of ducks
a paddling of ducks
a convocation of eagles
a memory of elephants
a business of ferrets
a charm of finches
a flamboyance of flamingos
a school of fish
a skulk of foxes
a troop of foxes
an army of frogs
a chorus of frogs
a gaggle of geese
a bazaar of guillemots
a confusion of guinea fowl
a muddle of guinea pigs
a cast of hawks
a kettle of hawks
an array of hedgehogs
a siege of herons
a school of hippopotamuses
a drift of hogs
a dazzle of hummingbirds
a cackle of hyenas
a clan of hyenas
a party of jays
a smack of jellyfish
a cling of koalas
a loveliness of ladybugs
an exaltation of larks
a leap of leopards
a pride of lions
a lounge of lizards
an echo of mockingbirds
a barrel of monkeys
a troop of monkeys
a romp of otters
a raft of sea otters
a parliament of owls
a bed of oysters
a pandemonium of pandas
a company of parrots
a pandemonium of parrots
a rainbow of parrots
a covey of partridges
a muster of peacocks
an ostentation of peacocks
a colony of penguins
a huddle of penguins
a parade of penguins
a parcel of penguins
a waddle of penguins
a bouquet of pheasants
a puddle of platypuses
a congregation of plovers
an aurora of polar bears
a prickle of porcupines
a bevy of quail
an unkindness of ravens
a crash of rhinos
a colony of seals
a frenzy of sharks
a shiver of sharks
a flock of sheep
a dray of squirrels
a scurry of squirrels
a host of sparrows
a chattering of starlings
a murmuration of starlings
a fever of stingrays
a muster of storks
a flight of swallows
a bank of swans
a bevy of swans
an ambush of tigers
a durante of toucans
a rafter of turkeys
a creep of tortoises
a rafter of turtles
a bale of sea turtles
a pod of walruses
a gang of weasels
a sneak of weasels
a clan of killer whales
a gam of whales
a herd of whales
a mob of whales
a plump of whales
a pod of whales
a run of whales
a school of whales
a shoal of whales
a troop of whales
a pack of wolves
a route of wolves
a decent of woodpeckers
a cohort of zebras
a dazzle of zebras
(www.berkeleyandbeyond2.com; copyright Carole Terwilliger Meyers)