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 | |
| birds | A volery of birds | |
| birds | A flock of birds | |
| birds | A covey of birds | |
| bitterns | A sedge of bitterns | |
| bitterns | A siege of bitterns | |
| bullfinches | A bellowing of bullfinches | |
| buzzards | A wake of buzzards | |
| capons | A mews of capons | |
| chickens | A peep of chickens | |
| chicks | A clutch of chicks | |
| hens | A brood of hens | |
| poultry | A run of poultry | |
| choughs | A clattering of choughs | |
| coots | A cover of coots | |
| coots | A raft of coots | |
| cormorants | A flight of cormorants | |
| cranes | A sedge of cranes | |
| crows | A horde of crows |
|
| crows | A hover of crows | |
| crows | A mob of crows | |
| 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 | |
| curlews | A head of curlews | |
| dotterel | A trip of dotterel | |
| doves | A dole of doves | |
| doves | A dule of doves | |
| doves | A flight of doves | |
| doves | A piteousness of doves | |
| doves | A pitying of doves | |
| doves | A prettying of doves | |
| ducks | A dopping of ducks (diving) | |
| ducks | A plump of ducks (flying) | |
| ducks | A paddling of ducks (on water) | |
| ducks | A flush of ducks | |
| ducks | A raft of ducks | |
| ducks | A team of ducks | |
| dunlin | A fling of dunlins | |
| eagles | A congress of eagles | |
| eagles | A convocation of eagles | |
| falcons | A cast of falcons | |
| finches | A charm of finches | |
| finches | A trembing of finches | |
| finches | A trimming of finches | |
| flamingoes | A stand of flamingoes | |
| goldfinches | A drum of goldfinches | |
| goldfinches | A troubling of goldfinches | |
| goldfinches | A charm of goldfinches | |
| geese | A wedge of geese (flying) | |
| geese | A flock of geese | |
| geese | A gaggle of geese | |
| geese | A nide of geese | |
| geese | A skein of geese | |
| geese | A plump of geese (on water) | |
| goshawks | A flight of goshawks | |
| grouse | A covey of grouse | |
| grouse | A lek of grouse | (of uncertain origin) |
| grouse | A pack of grouse | |
| guillemots | A bazaar of guillemots | |
| guinea fowl | A confusion of guinea fowl | |
| gulls | A colony of gulls | |
| gulls | A screech of gulls | |
| hawks | A cast of hawks | |
| hawks | A kettle of hawks | |
| herons | A siege of herons | |
| hummingbirds | A charm of hummingbirds | |
| jays | A band of jays | |
| jays | A party of jays | |
| jays | A scold of jays | (of uncertain origin) |
| lapwings | A deceit of lapwings | |
| lapwings | A desert of lapwings | |
| larks | An exaltation of larks | |
| magpies | A tiding(s) of magpies | |
| mallards | A lute of mallards | (of uncertain origin) |
| mallards | A sord of mallards | |
| martins | A richness of martins | |
| mudhen | A fleet of mudhen | (of uncertain origin) |
| nightingales | A watch of nightingales | |
| owls | A parliament of owls | |
| owls | A stare of owls | |
| parrots | A company of parrots | |
| parrots | A pandemonium of parrots | (of uncertain origin) |
| partridges | A bew of partridges | (of uncertain origin) |
| partridges | A covey of partridges | |
| peacocks | A muster of peacocks | |
| peacocks | A pride of peacocks | |
| peacocks | An ostentation of peacocks | |
| penguins | A colony of penguins | |
| penguins | A creche of penguins | |
| penguins | A huddle of penguins | |
| penguins | A parcel of penguins | (of uncertain origin) |
| penguins | A rookery of penguins | Spurious |
| pheasants | A bouquet of pheasants | |
| pheasants | A covey of pheasants | |
| pheasants | A nide of pheasants | |
| pheasants | A nye of pheasants | |
| pigeons | A kit of pigeons | (of uncertain origin) |
| pigeons | A loft of pigeons | |
| plovers | A congregation of plovers | |
| ptarmigan | A covey of ptarmigans | |
| quail | A bevy of quail | |
| quail | A covey of quail | |
| ravens | A conspiracy of ravens | |
| ravens | A murder of ravens | |
| ravens | A storytelling of ravens |
|
| ravens | An unkindness of ravens | |
| rooks | A building of rooks | |
| rooks | A clamour of rooks | |
| rooks | A parliament of rooks | |
| ruffs | A hill of ruffs | |
| sandpipers | A fling of sandpipers | |
| sea fowl | A cloud of sea fowl | |
| seagulls | A flock of seagulls | |
| sheldrakes | A doading of sheldrakes | |
| skylarks | An exultation of skylarks | |
| snipe | A walk of snipe | |
| snipe | A wisp of snipe | |
| sparrows | A host of sparrows | |
| sparrows | A quarrel of sparrows | |
| sparrows | A ubiquity of sparrows | |
| starlings | A murmuration of starlings | |
| storks | A muster of storks | |
| storks | A phalanx of storks | (of uncertain origin) |
| swallows | A flight of swallows | |
| swallows | A gulp of swallows | Spurious |
| swans | A gaggle of swans | |
| swans | A wedge of swans (flying) | |
| swans | A bank of swans | |
| swans | A bevy of swans | |
| swans | A whiteness of swans | |
| swans | A gargle of swans | |
| swans | An eyrar of swans | (of uncertain origin) |
| teal | A diving of teal | |
| teal | A spring of teal | |
| thrushes | A mutation of thrushes | |
| turkeys | A raffle of turkeys | |
| turkeys | A rafter of turkeys | |
| turtle doves | A pitying of turtledoves | |
| waterfowl | A knob of waterfowl | (of uncertain origin) |
| waterfowl | A plump of waterfowl | |
| wigeon | A coil of wigeon | |
| woodpeckers | A descent of woodpeckers |
References
- ^ Louise Spilsbury & Richard Spilsbury, "A Murder of Crows" (2003) ISBN 1-4034-0742-8
- ^ http://www.rinkworks.com/words/collective.shtml
- ^ http://www.heinemannlibrary.com/products/title.asp?id=1403407428
- ^ grammarphobia commentary on date of origin of the term
- ^ http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,710282,00.html
- ^ http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?s=section%3Alordsdebates&pid=13184&pop=1&p=9
