List of collective nouns for birds
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A group of birds of any type is generically known collectively as a flock. For a number of individual birds, there exist poetic collective nouns particular to the type of bird. Many of these collective nouns are fanciful, and not in common use in English. The book An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton is a good reference for the collective nouns and the etymology.
| Collective nouns for animals |
|---|
|
|
| Bird | Collective noun |
|
| auks | A raft of auks | (of uncertain origin) |
| birds | A dissimulation of birds | [citation needed] |
| birds | A volery of birds | [citation needed] |
| birds | A flock of birds | |
| birds | A covey of birds | [citation needed] |
| bitterns | A sedge of bitterns | [citation needed] |
| bitterns | A siege of bitterns | [citation needed] |
| bullfinches | A bellowing of bullfinches | [citation needed] |
| buzzards | A wake of buzzards | [citation needed] |
| capons | A mews of capons | [citation needed] |
| chickens | A peep of chickens | [citation needed] |
| chicks | A clutch of chicks | [citation needed] |
| hens | A brood of hens | [citation needed] |
| poultry | A run of poultry | [citation needed] |
| choughs | A clattering of choughs | [citation needed] |
| coots | A cover of coots | [citation needed] |
| coots | A raft of coots | [citation needed] |
| cormorants | A flight of cormorants | [citation needed] |
| cranes | A sedge of cranes | [citation needed] |
| crows | A horde of crows |
|
| crows | A hover of crows | [citation needed] |
| crows | A mob of crows | [citation needed] |
| crows | A murder of crows |
|
| crows | A muster of crows |
|
| crows | A parcel of crows |
|
| crows | A parliament of crows |
|
| crows | A storytelling of crows | [7] |
| curlews | A head of curlews | [citation needed] |
| dotterel | A trip of dotterel | [citation needed] |
| doves | A dole of doves | [citation needed] |
| doves | A dule of doves | [citation needed] |
| doves | A flight of doves | [citation needed] |
| doves | A piteousness of doves | [citation needed] |
| doves | A pitying of doves | [citation needed] |
| doves | A prettying of doves | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A dopping of ducks (diving) | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A plump of ducks (flying) | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A paddling of ducks (on water) | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A flush of ducks | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A raft of ducks | [citation needed] |
| ducks | A team of ducks | [citation needed] |
| dunlin | A fling of dunlins | [citation needed] |
| eagles | A congress of eagles | [citation needed] |
| eagles | A convocation of eagles | [citation needed] |
| falcons | A cast of falcons | [citation needed] |
| finches | A charm of finches | [citation needed] |
| finches | A trembing of finches | [citation needed] |
| finches | A trimming of finches | [citation needed] |
| flamingoes | A flamboyance of flamingoes |
|
| flamingoes | A stand of flamingoes | [citation needed] |
| goldfinches | A drum of goldfinches | [citation needed] |
| goldfinches | A troubling of goldfinches | [citation needed] |
| goldfinches | A charm of goldfinches | [citation needed] |
| geese | A wedge of geese (flying) | [citation needed] |
| geese | A flock of geese | [citation needed] |
| geese | A gaggle of geese | [citation needed] |
| geese | A nide of geese | [citation needed] |
| geese | A skein of geese | [citation needed] |
| geese | A plump of geese (on water) | [citation needed] |
| goshawks | A flight of goshawks | [citation needed] |
| grouse | A covey of grouse | [citation needed] |
| grouse | A lek of grouse | (of uncertain origin) |
| grouse | A pack of grouse | [citation needed] |
| guillemots | A bazaar of guillemots | [citation needed] |
| guinea fowl | A confusion of guinea fowl | [citation needed] |
| gulls | A colony of gulls | [citation needed] |
| gulls | A screech of gulls | [citation needed] |
| hawks | A cast of hawks | [citation needed] |
| hawks | A kettle of hawks | [citation needed] |
| herons | A siege of herons | [citation needed] |
| hummingbirds | A charm of hummingbirds | [citation needed] |
| jays | A band of jays | [citation needed] |
| jays | A party of jays | [citation needed] |
| jays | A scold of jays | (of uncertain origin) |
| lapwings | A deceit of lapwings | [citation needed] |
| lapwings | A desert of lapwings | [citation needed] |
| larks | An exaltation of larks | [citation needed] |
| magpies | A tiding(s) of magpies | [citation needed] |
| mallards | A lute of mallards | (of uncertain origin) |
| mallards | A sord of mallards | [citation needed] |
| martins | A richness of martins | [citation needed] |
| mudhen | A fleet of mudhen | (of uncertain origin) |
| nightingales | A watch of nightingales | [citation needed] |
| owls | A parliament of owls | [citation needed] |
| owls | A stare of owls | [citation needed] |
| parrots | A company of parrots | [citation needed] |
| parrots | A prattle of parrots | (of uncertain origin) |
| parrots | A pandemonium of parrots | (of uncertain origin) |
| partridges | A bew of partridges | (of uncertain origin) |
| partridges | A covey of partridges | [citation needed] |
| peacocks | A muster of peacocks | [citation needed] |
| peacocks | A pride of peacocks | [citation needed] |
| peacocks | An ostentation of peacocks | [citation needed] |
| penguins | A colony of penguins | [citation needed] |
| penguins | A creche of penguins | [citation needed] |
| penguins | A huddle of penguins | [citation needed] |
| penguins | A parcel of penguins | (of uncertain origin) |
| penguins | A rookery of penguins | Spurious |
| pheasants | A bouquet of pheasants | [citation needed] |
| pheasants | A covey of pheasants | [citation needed] |
| pheasants | A nide of pheasants | [citation needed] |
| pheasants | A nye of pheasants | [citation needed] |
| pigeons | A kit of pigeons | (of uncertain origin) |
| pigeons | A loft of pigeons | [citation needed] |
| plovers | A congregation of plovers | [citation needed] |
| ptarmigan | A covey of ptarmigans | |
| quail | A bevy of quail | [citation needed] |
| quail | A covey of quail | [citation needed] |
| ravens | A conspiracy of ravens | [citation needed] |
| ravens | A murder of ravens | [citation needed] |
| ravens | A storytelling of ravens |
|
| ravens | An unkindness of ravens | [citation needed] |
| rooks | A building of rooks | [citation needed] |
| rooks | A clamour of rooks | [citation needed] |
| rooks | A parliament of rooks | [citation needed] |
| ruffs | A hill of ruffs | [citation needed] |
| sandpipers | A fling of sandpipers | [citation needed] |
| sea fowl | A cloud of sea fowl | [citation needed] |
| seagulls | A flock of seagulls | [citation needed] |
| sheldrakes | A doading of sheldrakes | [citation needed] |
| skylarks | An exultation of skylarks | [citation needed] |
| snipe | A walk of snipe | [citation needed] |
| snipe | A wisp of snipe | [citation needed] |
| sparrows | A host of sparrows | [citation needed] |
| sparrows | A quarrel of sparrows | [citation needed] |
| sparrows | A ubiquity of sparrows | [citation needed] |
| starlings | A murmuration of starlings | [citation needed] |
| storks | A muster of storks | [citation needed] |
| storks | A phalanx of storks | (of uncertain origin) |
| swallows | A flight of swallows | [citation needed] |
| swallows | A gulp of swallows | Spurious |
| swans | A gaggle of swans | [citation needed] |
| swans | A wedge of swans (flying) | [citation needed] |
| swans | A bank of swans | [citation needed] |
| swans | A bevy of swans | [citation needed] |
| swans | A whiteness of swans | [citation needed] |
| swans | A gargle of swans | [citation needed] |
| swans | An eyrar of swans | (of uncertain origin) |
| teal | A diving of teal | [citation needed] |
| teal | A spring of teal | [citation needed] |
| thrushes | A mutation of thrushes | [citation needed] |
| turkeys | A raffle of turkeys | [citation needed] |
| turkeys | A rafter of turkeys | [citation needed] |
| turtle doves | A pitying of turtledoves | [citation needed] |
| waterfowl | A knob of waterfowl | (of uncertain origin) |
| waterfowl | A plump of waterfowl | [citation needed] |
| wigeon | A coil of wigeon | [citation needed] |
| woodpeckers | A descent of woodpeckers | [citation needed] |
[edit] References
- ^ Louise Spilsbury & Richard Spilsbury, "A Murder of Crows" (2003) ISBN 1-4034-0742-8
- ^ Fun With Words: Collective Nouns
- ^ 'Murder of Crows, A' Description
- ^ grammarphobia commentary on date of origin of the term
- ^ The evil abroad in Europe | Comment | The Observer
- ^ Search: by Lord Selsdon in Lords debates page 9 (TheyWorkForYou.com)
- ^ A Storytelling of Crows > General > Stories > Santa Clarita Valley > YourHub.com
- ^ Eccentric_Flamingoes

