Animal group names from the strange to the silly!
Sure, you probably know a group of birds is called a “flock,” but what group of animals is named an “embarrassment”? Let’s find out more about the fun, descriptive, and often strange names of animal groups.
Where did Animal Group Names Come From?
When animals get together, we have a specific name for their group.
Many of the names come from hunting in ancient times. In The Book of Saint Albans, published in the 14th century, the author Juliana Berners gave names to different animal groups.
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Most are imaginative names based on close observation of wildlife behavior. Some names are clever, and some are humorous.
- For example, a gathering of hyenas is a cackle, which is fitting since this animal is associated with a giggling sound.
- Then, a group of rhinos is called a crash. What a great name for a large, boisterous animal.
- It’s also not surprising that a few tall giraffes are called a tower.
- And how about a stand of flamingos? No surprise there, as shown by the photo below.
We’re unsure whether the author intended these names to last the ages, but many of these group names stuck around!
Names for Groups of Animals
Do you think the names below make sense? Do you think some are weird or funny? There is no right answer!
| Animal | Group Name |
|---|---|
| Antelope | A herd of antelope |
| Ant | A colony or an army of ants |
| Ape | A shrewdness of apes |
| Baboons | A troop of baboons |
| Bacteria | A culture of bacteria |
| Badger | A cete of badgers |
| Bass | A shoal of bass |
| Bear | A sleuth or sloth of bears |
| Beaver | A colony of beavers |
| Bee | A swarm, grist or hive of bees |
| Bird | A flock, flight, congregation, or volery of birds |
| Boar | A sounder of boars |
| Buffalo | A herd of buffalo |
| Buck | A brace or clash of bucks |
| Caterpillar | An army of caterpillars |
| Cat | A clowder or clutter of cats |
| Cattle | A herd or drove of cattle |
| Chicken | A brood or peep of chickens |
| Chicks | A clutch or chattering of chicks |
| Clam | A bed of clams |
| Cobra | A quiver of cobras |
| Colt | A rag of colts |
| Cow | A kine of cows (twelve cows are a flink) |
| Coyote | A band of coyotes |
| Crane | A sedge or siege of cranes |
| Crocodile | A float of crocodiles |
| Crow | A murder of crows |
| Cub | A litter of cubs |
| Deer | A herd of deer |
| Dog | A pack of dogs |
| Donkey | A herd or pace of asses |
| Dove | A dule of doves |
| Duck | A brace, paddling, or team of ducks |
| Eagle | A convocation of eagles |
| Elephant | A herd of elephants |
| Elk | A gang of elks |
| Emus | A mob of emus |
| Ferret | A business or fesnyng of ferrets |
| Finches | A charm of finches |
| Fish | A school, shoal, run, haul, or catch of fish |
| Flamingos | A flamboyance of flamingos |
| Fly | A swarm, hatch, or business of flies |
| Fox | A skulk or leash of foxes |
| Frog | An army or colony of frogs |
| Geese | A flock, gaggle, or skein (in flight) of geese |
| Gnat | A cloud or horde of gnats |
| Goat | A herd, tribe, or trip goats |
| Goldfinch | A charm of goldfinches |
| Goldfish | A troubling of goldfish |
| Gorilla | A band of gorillas |
| Grasshopper | A cloud of grasshoppers |
| Greyhound | A leash of greyhounds |
| Hare | A down or husk of hares |
| Hawk | A cast or kettle of hawks |
| Hen | A brood of hens |
| Hippo | A bloat of hippopotamuses |
| Hog | A drift, or parcel of hogs |
| Horse | A team, pair, or harras of horses |
| Hound | A pack, mute, or cry of hounds |
| Jellyfish | A smuck or brood of jellyfish |
| Kangaroo | A troop or mob of kangaroos |
| Kitten | A kindle or litter of kittens |
| Lark | An ascension or exaltation of larks |
| Leopard | A leap (leep) of leopards |
| Lice | A flock of lice |
| Lion | A pride of lions |
| Locust | A plague or cloud of locusts |
| Magpie | A tiding or tittering of magpies |
| Mallard | A sord of mallards |
| Mare | A stud of mares |
| Marten | A richness of martens |
| Minnow | A steam of minnows |
| Mole | A labor or movement of moles |
| Monkey | A troop or cartload of monkeys |
| Mule | A barren or span of mules |
| Nightingale | A watch of nightingales |
| Owls | A parliament of owls |
| Oxen | A yoke, drove, team, or herd of oxen |
| Oyster | A bed of oysters |
| Parrot | A company of parrots |
| Panda | An embarrassment |
| Partridge | A covey of partridges |
| Peacock | A muster or ostentation of peacocks |
| Peep | A litter of peeps |
| Penguin | A colony of penguins |
| Pheasant | A nest, nide (nye), or bouquet of pheasants |
| Pigeon | A flock or flight of pigeons |
| Pig | A litter of pigs |
| Plover | A wing or congregation of plovers |
| Pony | A string of ponies |
| Porpoise | A pod of porpoises |
| Quail | A covey or bevy of quail |
| Rabbit | A nest or colony or fluffle of rabbits |
| Raccoon | A gaze of raccoons |
| Rat | A pack or swarm of rats |
| Rattlesnake | A rhumba of rattlesnakes |
| Raven | An unkindness of ravens |
| Rhino | A crash or herd of rhinos |
| Roebuck | A bevy of roebucks |
| Rook | A building or clamor of rooks |
| Sardine | A family of sardines |
| Shark | A shiver of sharks |
| Seal | A herd or pod of seals |
| Sheep | A drove or flock of sheep |
| Snake | A nest or knot of snakes |
| Snipe | A walk or wisp of snipe |
| Sparrow | A host of sparrows |
| Squirrel | A dray of squirrels |
| Starling | A murmuration of starlings |
| Stork | A mustering of storks |
| Swallow | A flight of swallows |
| Swan | A bevy, herd, lamentation, or wedge of swans |
| Swift | A flock of swifts |
| Swine | A sounder or drift of swine |
| Teal | A spring of teals |
| Tiger | A streak of tigers |
| Toad | A knot or knab of toads |
| Trout | A hover of trout |
| Turkey | A rafter of turkeys |
| Turtle dove | A pitying or dule of turtle doves |
| Turtle | A bale of turtles |
| Viper | A nest of vipers |
| Walrus | A pod of walrus |
| Wasp | A pledge of wasps |
| Weasel | A pack of weasels |
| Whale | A school, gam, or pod of whales |
| Wolf | A pack or route of wolves |
| Woodcock | A fall of woodcocks |
| Woodpecker | A descent of woodpeckers |
Did we miss any animal group names? If so, let us know in the comments below. It could be fun to create one of those matching games to challenge your knowledge of animal group names!
Catherine Boeckmann
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A group of cockroaches are a colony or an intrusion
How about guinea hens?
Chimpanzees: A troupe of chimpanzees
Chipmunks: A scurry of chipmunks.
Platypus: A paddle of platypus.
Seagull: A flock of seagulls.
(Sorry, but here's some more! I've been collecting these since I was a teenager long ago).
Bat A colony or camp of bats. A cloud of bats (in flight)
Butterfly A kaleidoscope or flutter of butterflies
Camel A caravan, or train, or scorn of camels
Cockroach An intrusion of cockroaches
Dragonfly A flight or cluster of dragonflies
Falcon A cast, kettle, or bazaar of falcons
Giraffe A tower of giraffes
Heron A sedge or siege of heron
Hornet A nest or bike of hornets
Hyena A clan or cackle of hyenas
Ladybug A loveliness of ladybugs
Lemur A conspiracy of lemurs
Mosquito A scourge of mosquitoes
Moth An eclipse of moths
Otter A bevy, family, romp, or raft (when floating together) of otters
Porcupine A prickle of porcupines
Scorpion A nest or bed of scorpions
Sea Star A galaxy of sea stars
Skunk A surfeit of skunks
Spider A cluster or clutter of spiders
Stingray A fever of stingrays
Termite A brood of termites
Zebras A dazzle or zeal of zebras
... and Wildebeest: A confusion of wildebeests
Why can’t there be a mischief of kittens (or puppies)?
Dolphins
A flock of Cardinals is called a Vatican~
My favorite is a kettle, committee, wake of vultures. Name denotes activity: kettle is a group in flight; committee is a group at rest; wake is a group of feeding vultures.
