Sam majored in English and used to work as an English substitute teacher. She is now an editor for a non-fiction publishing house.

While some animals' collective names have become quite well-known over the years, most are still fairly obscure, and some are just downright strange. Loïc Mermilliod via Unsplash

English is a strange language, and nothing is stranger than the variety of collective nouns assigned to groups of particular animals. For example, did you know that a collection of crows is called a murder? Or that a crowd of sloths is referred to as a bed?

Animal Group Names

Mammals and Marsupials

Apes: troop or shrewdness

troop or shrewdness Baboons: troop or flange

troop or flange Badgers: cete

cete Bats: colony or cauldron

colony or cauldron Bears: sleuth or sloth

sleuth or sloth Beavers: colony or family

colony or family Bloodhounds: sute

sute Boars: sounder

sounder Buffalo: obstinacy or gang

obstinacy or gang Camels: caravan, flock, train, or herd

caravan, flock, train, or herd Cats: clowder, pounce, glaring, or destruction (if they're wild)

clowder, pounce, glaring, or destruction (if they're wild) Cattle: mob

mob Cheetas: coalition

coalition Colts: rag or rake

rag or rake Deer: herd or parcel

herd or parcel Dogs: litter (if they're puppies), pack (if they're wild), or cowardice (if they're curs)

litter (if they're puppies), pack (if they're wild), or cowardice (if they're curs) Dolphins: pod

pod Donkeys: pace

pace Elephants: herd, parade, or memory

herd, parade, or memory Elk: gang

gang Ferrets: business, hob (male), jill (female), kit (babies)

business, hob (male), jill (female), kit (babies) Foxes: leash, skulk, or earth (this is the oddest of all group names in my opinion)

leash, skulk, or earth (this is the oddest of all group names in my opinion) Giraffes: tower

tower Gnus: implausibility

implausibility Goats: trip, drove, herd, flock, or tribe

trip, drove, herd, flock, or tribe Gorillas: troop or band

troop or band Hedgehogs: array

array Hippopotamuses: thunder or bloat

thunder or bloat Hyenas: clan or cackle

Jaguars: prowl or shadow

prowl or shadow Kangaroos: mob or troop

mob or troop Kittens: kindle, litter, or intrigue

kindle, litter, or intrigue Lemurs: conspiracy

conspiracy Leopards: leap

leap Lions: pride or sawt

pride or sawt Martens: richness

richness Moles: labor

labor Monkeys: troop or barrel

troop or barrel Mules: pack, span, or barren

pack, span, or barren Narwhals: blessing

blessing Otters: raft or romp

raft or romp Oxen: drove, team, yoke

drove, team, yoke Pandas: embarrassment

embarrassment Pigs: drift, drove, sounder, team, or passel

drift, drove, sounder, team, or passel Polar Bears: pack, aurora, or celebration

pack, aurora, or celebration Porcupines: prickle

prickle Porpoises: turmoil, pod, school, or herd

turmoil, pod, school, or herd Prairie dogs: colonies or coteries

colonies or coteries Rabbits: colony, nest, warren, husk, down, or herd

colony, nest, warren, husk, down, or herd Raccoons: gaze, boars (group of males), sows (group of females)

gaze, boars (group of males), sows (group of females) Rhinoceroses: stubbornness or crash

stubbornness or crash Seals: harem

harem Sloths: bed

bed Squirrels: scurry or dray (a mother and her babies in a nest)

scurry or dray (a mother and her babies in a nest) Tigers: streak or ambush

streak or ambush Whales: pod, gam, or herd

pod, gam, or herd Wolves: pack, rout, or route (when in movement)

pack, rout, or route (when in movement) Wombats: wisdom

wisdom Zebras: herd, zeal, or dazzle

Birds

Albatross: rookery

rookery Bitterns: sedge

sedge Buzzards: wake

wake Bobolinks: chain

chain Coots: cover

cover Cormorants: gulp

gulp Chickens: clutch

clutch Crows: murder, horde, unkindness, or conspiracy

murder, horde, unkindness, or conspiracy Dotterels: trip

trip Doves: dule or pitying (used only for turtle doves)

dule or pitying (used only for turtle doves) Ducks: brace, team, flock (when in flight), raft (when on water), paddling, or badling

brace, team, flock (when in flight), raft (when on water), paddling, or badling Eagles: convocation

convocation Falcons: cast

cast Finches: charm

charm Flamingos: stand or flamboyance

stand or flamboyance Geese: flock, gaggle (when on the ground), or skein (when in flight)

flock, gaggle (when on the ground), or skein (when in flight) Grouse: pack (in late season)

pack (in late season) Hawks: cast, kettle (when in flight), or boil (when there are two or more spiraling in air)

cast, kettle (when in flight), or boil (when there are two or more spiraling in air) Herons: sedge or siege

sedge or siege Hummingbirds: charm

charm Jays: scold or party

scold or party Lapwings: deceit

deceit Larks: exaltation

exaltation Lyrebirds: musket

musket Mallards: brace or sord (when in flight)

brace or sord (when in flight) Magpies: tiding, charm, or gulp

Interesting Fact Some of these animals are solitary, so it is ironic that they have group names dedicated to their kind when they are rarely found in groups.

Nightingales: watch

watch Owls: parliament

parliament Parrots: pandemonium or company

pandemonium or company Partridge: covey

covey Peacocks: ostentation or muster

ostentation or muster Pelicans: Pod or squadron

Pod or squadron Penguins: convent, tuxedo, colony, muster, parcel, or rookery

convent, tuxedo, colony, muster, parcel, or rookery Pheasants: nest, nide (a brood), nye, guff (in-flight), or bouquet (take-off)

nest, nide (a brood), nye, guff (in-flight), or bouquet (take-off) Plovers: congregation or wing (when in flight)

congregation or wing (when in flight) Ptarmigans: covey

covey Rooks: building

building Quail: bevy or covey

bevy or covey Ravens: unkindness

unkindness Seagulls: squabble

squabble Snipes: walk or wisp

walk or wisp Sparrows: host

host Starlings: murmuration

murmuration Storks: muster or mustering

muster or mustering Swans: bevy, game, or wedge (when in flight)

bevy, game, or wedge (when in flight) Teal: spring

spring Thrushes: mutation

mutation Turkeys: gang or rafter

gang or rafter Vultures: committee, kettle, or wake (refers to a group feeding on carcass)

committee, kettle, or wake (refers to a group feeding on carcass) Woodcocks: fall

fall Woodpeckers: descent

A Mutation of Thrushes? During medieval times, it was a common belief that thrushes shed their legs and regrew them every 10 years. This led to the creation of the collective term "mutation."

Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish

Alligators: congregation

congregation Barracudas: battery

battery Cobras: quiver

quiver Crocodiles: bask

bask Eels: bed

bed Fish: draft, nest, run, school, or shoal

draft, nest, run, school, or shoal Frogs: army

army Herring: army

army Iguanas: slaughter

slaughter Komodo dragons: bank

bank Rattlesnakes: rhumba

A Generation of Vipers? The term "generation" comes from Matthew 23:33 in the King James version of the Bible: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

Salamanders: maelstrom

maelstrom Salmon: run

run Sardines: family

family Sharks: shiver

shiver Snakes: nest, pit, or den

nest, pit, or den Stingrays: fever

fever Toads: knot

knot Trout: hover

hover Turtles: bale or nest

bale or nest Vipers: generation

A group of butterflies is referred to as "a kaleidoscope." Rahans, CC-BY-SA-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Insects, Arachnids, and Other Animals

Bees: grist, hive, or swarm

grist, hive, or swarm Butterflies: kaleidoscope, flutter, or swarm

kaleidoscope, flutter, or swarm Caterpillars: army

army Clams: bed

bed Cockroaches: intrusion

intrusion Crabs: cast or consortium

cast or consortium Flies: business

business Grasshoppers: cloud

cloud Jellyfish: bloom, fluther, or smack

bloom, fluther, or smack Lobsters: risk

risk Locusts: plague

plague Mosquitoes: swarm or scourge

swarm or scourge Octopuses: consortium or rally

consortium or rally Oysters: bed

bed Snails: rout, walk, hood, or escargatoire

rout, walk, hood, or escargatoire Spiders: cluster

cluster Squid: audience

audience Worms: bunch

People

Collective names are not unique to animals. Groups of people have odd collective names as well. Some examples include:

Boys: blush

blush Nuns: superfluity

superfluity Cobblers: drunkship

drunkship Merchants: faith

faith Cooks: hastiness

Did You Know? Animal group names date back to medieval times when a list of collective terms for animals first appeared in The Book of Saint Albans, printed in 1486. This book, written by a nun named Juliana Barnes, covered the topics of hunting, fishing, and coats of arms, and it also included the first-ever list of collective nouns for every type of animal one could possibly imagine. Originally, these nouns were used primarily as hunting terms, but they have since extended into the everyday vernacular.

There you have it, folks! You'll never have to guess as to which group name is correct again. And if you do, just say "a group of . . . "

In most instances, you'll want to use "a group of . . . " rather than the names on this list, since most of these terms are archaic and aren't very widely known. Your friends (and even teachers) might give you weird looks if you use these terms when speaking. This list is may prove essential, however, if you are writing and want to use terms with more flare. If I left anything out, please let me know in the comments below.

Alden Loveshade on August 28, 2020:

Thanks for the list. But here's a couple notes.

One, there's a category for "Mammals and Marsupials." Marsupials are members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia; they are mammals by definition.

Mice and Rats aren't listed.

Gary on August 10, 2020:

And I thought a group of Baboons was a parliament

Pascal Thomas on July 20, 2020:

Oh the wonder and joy of the English language!!!!

Girlz999 on June 15, 2020:

what about a crowd ?

rikki on June 04, 2020:

and cows?

hi on May 17, 2020:

i am looking for a fleet

Nejabro@yahoo.com on February 17, 2020:

Thanks, and true I have never heard majority of these collective names. I am going to print out the list and try to learn them, see how many I am going to remember off head.

Tim Millan on February 12, 2020:

An episode of sparrows

Gavin on January 29, 2020:

Ive been told a group of worms is called an Opeth

pinkie on January 17, 2020:

im looking for a range

Fabian on January 16, 2020:

Our class has been searching for the animal whose group is called a jug.

john on January 07, 2020:

very good thank you :)

Gopal Dutta on November 27, 2019:

It's very important for us

Duncan Sande on November 03, 2019:

Thanks, quite informative,l do appreciate, would you kindly do one for sounds, made by animals?

Jonathan on October 16, 2019:

Really makes me question the accuracy when category 1 is "mammals and marsupials", and the first two animals listed are "albatross" and "alligator"...

A bunch on October 11, 2019:

Of worms

Leul on October 04, 2019:

What about cow

Sahilali on September 27, 2019:

Elephant, Lion, ant, Sheep,

Poop on September 12, 2019:

Now I don't need to think of what they are called cause I know it all!!!

MyDadLeft69 on September 02, 2019:

Cool

landon on December 04, 2018:

cool