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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.
| Collective Name | | Animal |
|---|
| herd | of | antelope |
| army | of | ants |
| colony | of | ants |
| swarm | of | ants |
| shrewdness | of | apes |
| flange | of | baboons |
| congress | of | baboons |
| tribe | of | baboons |
| culture | of | bacteria |
| cete | of | badgers |
| colony | of | badgers |
| sleuth | of | bears |
| sloth | of | bears |
| pack | of | bears (polar bears) |
| colony | of | beavers |
| lodge | of | beavers |
| flight | of | bees |
| grist | of | bees |
| hive | of | bees |
| swarm | of | bees |
| congregation | of | birds |
| dissimulation | of | birds |
| flight | of | birds |
| flock | of | birds |
| volery | of | birds |
| sedge | of | bitterns |
| siege | of | bitterns |
| herd | of | boar |
| singular | of | boar |
| sounder | of | boar |
| chain | of | bobolinks |
| brace | of | bucks |
| clash | of | bucks |
| herd | of | buffalo |
| rabble | of | butterflies |
| swarm | of | butterflies |
| wake | of | buzzards |
| flock | of | camels |
| army | of | caterpillars |
| clowder | of | cats |
| clutter | of | cats |
| glaring | of | cats |
| pounce | of | cats |
| dout | of | cats (house cats) |
| nuisance | of | cats (house cats) |
| kendle | of | cats (kittens) |
| kindle | of | cats (kittens) |
| litter | of | cats (kittens) |
| destruction | of | cats (wild cats) |
| drove | of | cattle |
| herd | of | cattle |
| kine | of | cattle |
| team | of | cattle |
| yoke | of | cattle (two) |
| herd | of | chamois |
| brood | of | chickens |
| flock | of | chickens |
| peep | of | chickens |
| brood | of | chicks |
| chattering | of | chicks |
| clutch | of | chicks |
| cartload | of | chimpanzees |
| herd | of | chinchillas |
| bed | of | clams |
| quiver | of | cobras |
| rag | of | colts |
| rake | of | colts |
| bury | of | conies |
| cover | of | coots |
| flight | of | cormorants |
| band | of | coyotes |
| sedge | of | cranes |
| siege | of | cranes |
| congregation | of | crocodiles |
| float | of | crocodiles |
| storytelling | of | crows |
| murder | of | crows |
| herd | of | deer |
| leash | of | deer |
| parcel | of | deer |
| bevy | of | deer (roe deer) |
| kennel | of | dogs |
| pack | of | dogs |
| litter | of | dogs (puppies) |
| pod | of | dolphins |
| drove | of | donkeys |
| herd | of | donkeys |
| pace | of | donkeys |
| trip | of | dotterel |
| bevy | of | doves |
| cote | of | doves |
| dole | of | doves |
| dule | of | doves |
| flight | of | doves |
| piteousness | of | doves |
| flight | of | dragons |
| weyr | of | dragons |
| wing | of | dragons |
| brace | of | ducks |
| flock | of | ducks |
| flush | of | ducks |
| paddling | of | ducks |
| raft | of | ducks |
| team | of | ducks |
| aerie | of | eagles |
| convocation | of | eagles |
| swarm | of | eels |
| herd | of | elephants |
| memory | of | elephants |
| parade | of | elephants |
| gang | of | elk |
| herd | of | elk |
| mob | of | emus |
| business | of | ferrets |
| cast | of | ferrets |
| fesnyng | of | ferrets |
| charm | of | finches |
| catch | of | fish |
| haul | of | fish |
| run | of | fish |
| school | of | fish |
| shoal | of | fish |
| swarm | of | flies |
| lead | of | foxes |
| leash | of | foxes |
| skulk | of | foxes |
| army | of | frogs |
| colony | of | frogs |
| knot | of | frogs |
| flock | of | geese |
| gaggle | of | geese |
| skein | of | geese (in flight) |
| wedge | of | geese (flying in a 'V') |
| horde | of | gerbils |
| corps | of | giraffes |
| herd | of | giraffes |
| tower | of | giraffes |
| cloud | of | gnats |
| horde | of | gnats |
| swarm | of | gnats |
| herd | of | gnus |
| implausibility | of | gnus |
| drove | of | goats |
| herd | of | goats |
| tribe | of | goats |
| trip | of | goats |
| charm | of | goldfinches |
| glint | of | goldfish |
| band | of | gorillas |
| skein | of | goslings |
| leash | of | greyhounds |
| covey | of | grouse |
| pack | of | grouse |
| colony | of | gulls |
| group | of | guinea pigs |
| horde | of | hamsters |
| drove | of | hares |
| down | of | hares |
| husk | of | hares |
| leash | of | hares |
| trace | of | hares |
| trip | of | hares |
| warren | of | hares |
| aerie | of | hawks |
| cast | of | hawks |
| kettle | of | hawks |
| array | of | hedgehogs |
| prickle | of | hedgehogs |
| brood | of | hens |
| hedge | of | herons |
| sedge | of | herons |
| siege | of | herons |
| shoal | of | herrings |
| crash | of | hippopotami |
| herd | of | hippopotami |
| bloat | of | hippopotami |
| drift | of | hogs |
| parcel | of | hogs |
| passel | of | hogs |
| nest | of | hornets |
| harras | of | horses |
| herd | of | horses |
| stable | of | horses |
| team | of | horses |
| troop | of | horses |
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| Collective Name | | Animal |
|---|
| cry | of | hounds |
| mute | of | hounds |
| pack | of | hounds |
| charm | of | hummingbirds |
| clan | of | hyenas |
| band | of | jays |
| party | of | jays |
| scold | of | jays |
| smack | of | jellyfish |
| herd | of | kangaroos |
| mob | of | kangaroos |
| troop | of | kangaroos |
| deceit | of | lapwings |
| ascension | of | larks |
| exaltation | of | larks |
| leap | of | leopards |
| leep | of | leopards |
| lepe | of | leopards |
| pride | of | lions |
| sault | of | lions |
| sowse | of | lions |
| troop | of | lions |
| lounge | of | lizards |
| herd | of | llamas |
| plague | of | locusts |
| tidings | of | magpies |
| sord | of | mallards |
| stud | of | mares |
| richness | of | martens |
| horde | of | mice |
| mischief | of | mice |
| nest | of | mice |
| company | of | moles |
| labor | of | moles |
| movement | of | moles |
| cartload | of | monkeys |
| tribe | of | monkeys |
| troop | of | monkeys |
| troup | of | monkeys |
| herd | of | moose |
| barren | of | mules |
| pack | of | mules |
| rake | of | mules |
| span | of | mules |
| watch | of | nightingales |
| bevy | of | otter |
| family | of | otter |
| raft | of | otter |
| romp | of | otter |
| parliament | of | owls |
| drove | of | oxen |
| herd | of | oxen |
| span | of | oxen |
| team | of | oxen |
| yoke | of | oxen (two) |
| bed | of | oysters |
| company | of | parrots |
| covey | of | partridges |
| muster | of | peacocks |
| ostentation | of | peacocks |
| colony | of | penguins |
| crèche | of | penguins |
| huddle | of | penguins |
| parcel | of | penguins |
| rookery | of | penguins |
| nest | of | pheasants |
| nide | of | pheasants (on the ground) |
| nye | of | pheasants (on the ground) |
| bouquet | of | pheasants (when flushed) |
| flight | of | pigeons |
| flock | of | pigeons |
| drove | of | pigs |
| herd | of | pigs |
| litter | of | pigs |
| farrow | of | pigs (piglets) |
| sounder | of | pigs (wild pigs) |
| shoal | of | pilchards |
| congregation | of | plovers |
| wing | of | plovers |
| chine | of | polecats |
| string | of | ponies |
| pod | of | porpoises |
| school | of | porpoises |
| passel | of | possum |
| coterie | of | prairie dogs |
| bevy | of | quail |
| covey | of | quail |
| bury | of | rabbits |
| colony | of | rabbits |
| down | of | rabbits |
| drove | of | rabbits |
| husk | of | rabbits |
| leash | of | rabbits |
| trace | of | rabbits |
| trip | of | rabbits |
| warren | of | rabbits |
| nest | of | rabbits (young) |
| wrack | of | rabbits (young) |
| gaze | of | raccoons |
| nursery | of | raccoons |
| colony | of | rats |
| horde | of | rats |
| mischief | of | rats |
| pack | of | rats |
| plague | of | rats |
| swarm | of | rats |
| rhumba | of | rattlesnakes |
| storytelling | of | ravens |
| unkindness | of | ravens |
| crash | of | rhinocerouses |
| building | of | rooks |
| clamor | of | rooks |
| storytelling | of | rooks |
| run | of | salmon |
| school | of | salmon |
| shoal | of | salmon |
| bob | of | seals |
| colony | of | seals |
| crash | of | seals |
| harem | of | seals |
| herd | of | seals |
| pod | of | seals |
| rookery | of | seals |
| spring | of | seals |
| team | of | seals |
| school | of | shark |
| shiver | of | shark |
| down | of | sheep |
| drove | of | sheep |
| flock | of | sheep |
| fold | of | sheep |
| hurtle | of | sheep |
| trip | of | sheep |
| bed | of | snakes |
| den | of | snakes |
| nest | of | snakes |
| pit | of | snakes |
| walk | of | snipes |
| wisp | of | snipes |
| host | of | sparrows |
| dray | of | squirrels |
| scurry | of | squirrels |
| murmuration | of | starlings |
| muster | of | storks |
| mustering | of | storks |
| flight | of | swallows |
| bevy | of | swans |
| herd | of | swans |
| wedge | of | swans (flying in a 'V') |
| flock | of | swifts |
| drift | of | swine |
| sounder | of | swine |
| spring | of | teals |
| ambush | of | tigers |
| streak | of | tigers |
| knot | of | toads |
| hover | of | trout |
| flock | of | turkeys |
| brood | of | turkeys (immature) |
| bale | of | turtles |
| generation | of | vipers |
| nest | of | vipers |
| colony | of | vultures |
| mob | of | wallabees |
| herd | of | walruses |
| pod | of | walruses |
| pack | of | weasels |
| sneak | of | weasels |
| gam | of | whales |
| herd | of | whales |
| pod | of | whales |
| school | of | whales |
| plump | of | wildfowl |
| herd | of | wolves |
| pack | of | wolves |
| rout | of | wolves |
| route | of | wolves |
| warren | of | wombats |
| fall | of | woodcocks |
| descent | of | woodpeckers |
| herd | of | yaks |
| herd | of | zebras |
| zeal | of | zebras |
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