On a good day in the field, a birder might see a raft, a band, a host, a chime, and even a kettle. But what exactly are they seeing? What would you call a flock of flamingos, a swarm of swallows, or a group of eagles? Different birds have different collective nouns to describe large groups, and while many of the terms are obsolete, seldom used, or just plain silly, they are still familiar to birders. Many flock names are descriptive not only of the group of birds but also of their behavior or personalities. Birders who understand these esoteric words and can apply them to the appropriate birds will enjoy birding even more.​

Names for Groups of Birds

Several collective nouns can apply to all bird species, such as flock, colony, fleet, parcel, and dissimulation. Other not-so-common flock names that can be used for any type of bird include cloud, mass, collection, or just plain group or throng. In fact, any generic name for a large group, whether it is people, animals, or birds, could be applied to a flock. Birders, however, know there are unique and distinctive names for specific bird flocks.

Special Flock Names

When a flock consists of just one type of bird or closely related species of birds, specialized terms are often used to describe the group. The most colorful and creative flock names include:

Birds of Prey (hawks, falcons): cast, cauldron, kettle

(hawks, falcons): cast, cauldron, kettle Bobolinks : chain

: chain Budgerigars : chatter

: chatter Buzzards : wake

: wake Cardinals : college, conclave, radiance, Vatican

: college, conclave, radiance, Vatican Catbirds : mewing

: mewing Chickadees : banditry

: banditry Chickens : peep

: peep Cormorants : flight, gulp, sunning, swim

: flight, gulp, sunning, swim Coots : cover

: cover Cowbirds : corral, herd

: corral, herd Cranes : herd, dance

: herd, dance Creepers : spiral

: spiral Crossbills : crookedness, warp

: crookedness, warp Crows : murder, congress, horde, muster, cauldron

: murder, congress, horde, muster, cauldron Doves : bevy, cote, flight, dule

: bevy, cote, flight, dule Ducks : raft, team, paddling, badling

: raft, team, paddling, badling Eagles : convocation, congregation, aerie

: convocation, congregation, aerie Emus : mob

: mob Finches : charm, trembling

: charm, trembling Flamingos : flamboyance, stand

: flamboyance, stand Frigatebirds : fleet, flotilla

: fleet, flotilla Game Birds (quail, grouse, ptarmigan): covey, pack, bevy

(quail, grouse, ptarmigan): covey, pack, bevy Geese : skein, wedge, gaggle, plump

: skein, wedge, gaggle, plump Godwits : omniscience, prayer, pantheon

: omniscience, prayer, pantheon Goldfinches : charm, treasury, vein, rush, trembling

: charm, treasury, vein, rush, trembling Grosbeaks : gross

: gross Gulls : colony, squabble, flotilla, scavenging, gullery

: colony, squabble, flotilla, scavenging, gullery Herons : siege, sedge, scattering

: siege, sedge, scattering Hoatzins : herd

: herd Hummingbirds : charm, glittering, shimmer, tune, bouquet, hover

: charm, glittering, shimmer, tune, bouquet, hover Jays : band, party, scold, cast

: band, party, scold, cast Kingbirds : coronation, court, tyranny

: coronation, court, tyranny Kingfishers : concentration, relm, clique, rattle

: concentration, relm, clique, rattle Knots : cluster

: cluster Lapwings : deceit

: deceit Larks : bevy, exaltation, ascension, happiness

: bevy, exaltation, ascension, happiness Loons : asylum, cry, water dance

: asylum, cry, water dance Magpies : tiding

: tiding Mallards : sord, flush

: sord, flush Nightingales : watch

: watch Owls : parliament, wisdom, study, bazaar, glaring

: parliament, wisdom, study, bazaar, glaring Painted Buntings : mural, palette

: mural, palette Parrots : pandemonium, company, prattle

: pandemonium, company, prattle Partridges : covey

: covey Peafowl : party, ostentation

: party, ostentation Pelicans : squadron, pod, scoop

: squadron, pod, scoop Penguins : colony, huddle, creche, waddle

: colony, huddle, creche, waddle Phalaropes : swirl, twirl, whirl, whirligig

: swirl, twirl, whirl, whirligig Pheasants : nye, bevy, bouquet, covey

: nye, bevy, bouquet, covey Plovers : congregation

: congregation Quail : battery, drift, flush, rout, shake

: battery, drift, flush, rout, shake Ravens : murder, congress, horde, unkindness

: murder, congress, horde, unkindness Roadrunners : race, marathon

: race, marathon Rooks : clamour, parliament, building

: clamour, parliament, building Sapsuckers : slurp

: slurp Skimmers : scoop

: scoop Snipe : walk, wisp

: walk, wisp Sparrows : host, quarrel, knot, flutter, crew

: host, quarrel, knot, flutter, crew Starlings : chattering, affliction, murmuration, scourge, constellation

: chattering, affliction, murmuration, scourge, constellation Storks : mustering

: mustering Swallows : flight, gulp

: flight, gulp Swans : wedge, ballet, lamentation, whiteness, regatta

: wedge, ballet, lamentation, whiteness, regatta Teals : spring

: spring Terns : cotillion

: cotillion Turkeys : rafter, gobble, gang, posse

: rafter, gobble, gang, posse Turtledoves : pitying

: pitying Vultures : committee, venue, volt, wake

: committee, venue, volt, wake Warblers : confusion, wrench, fall

: confusion, wrench, fall Woodcocks : fall

: fall Woodpeckers : descent, drumming

: descent, drumming Wrens: herd, chime

Illustration: © The Spruce, 2018

When Is a Flock a Flock?

Not every group of birds is automatically a flock. The two characteristics that generally constitute a flock are:

Numbers : Just two or three birds is not usually a flock, but there is no set minimum number of birds that is absolutely needed to call a group a flock. In general, larger groups are always considered flocks, while smaller groups may be flocks if the birds are not often seen in groups. For example, gregarious birds such as gulls, ducks, and starlings are often seen in very large groups, so just a half dozen of these birds together would not usually be called a flock. Less social birds, however, such as hummingbirds or grosbeaks, would be considered a flock of there were only a few birds, since they are much less likely to gather in larger groups.

: Just two or three birds is not usually a flock, but there is no set minimum number of birds that is absolutely needed to call a group a flock. In general, larger groups are always considered flocks, while smaller groups may be flocks if the birds are not often seen in groups. For example, gregarious birds such as gulls, ducks, and starlings are often seen in very large groups, so just a half dozen of these birds together would not usually be called a flock. Less social birds, however, such as hummingbirds or grosbeaks, would be considered a flock of there were only a few birds, since they are much less likely to gather in larger groups. Species: Any large group of birds, no matter how many different species make up the group, can be called a flock if only a general flock term is used. The more unique, specialized terms, however, are only used for single-species flocks. The exception is when all the species that make up the flock are still in the same related family. A flock of sparrows, for example, can still be called a knot, flutter, host, quarrel, or crew even if several sparrow species are part of the group. A group of wading birds, however, is just a flock if there are herons, godwits, egrets, flamingos, storks, and plovers all mixed in the crowd, as all these birds have different collective nouns for their individual species.

The collective nouns for different groups of birds can be a fun bit of birding lingo to use when describing what you see in the field. How many will you see?