One of the most remarkable things about the animal kingdom and just one of the many crazy things about the English language is the variety of collective nouns that all mean ‘group’.
Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of collective nouns for birds, some familiar and some not so well known.
Are we missing any? Let us know in the comments below.
A
albatrosses – a rookery of albatrosses
albatrosses – a weight of albatrosses
auks – a colony of auks
auks – a raft of auks
avocets – a colony of avocets
B
bitterns – a pretence of bitterns
bitterns – a sedge of bitterns
bitterns – a siege of bitterns
blackbirds – a cloud of blackbirds
blackbirds – a grind of blackbirds
bobolinks – a chain of bobolinks
bullfinches – a bellowing of bullfinches
buzzards – a wake of buzzards
C
capercaillies – a tok of capercaillie
capons – a mews of capons
chicks – a brood of chicks
chicks – a clutch of chicks
chicks – chattering of chicks
chickens – a brood of chickens
chickens – a peep of chickens
choughs – a clattering of choughs
coots – a covert of coots
coots – a raft of coots
cormorants – a flight of cormorants
cranes – a herd of cranes
cranes – a sedge of cranes
cranes – a siege 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 herd of curlews
D
dotterels – a trip of dotterel
doves – a bevy of doves
doves – a dole of doves
doves – a flight of doves
doves – a piteousness of doves
doves – a pitying of doves
ducks (diving) – a dopping of ducks
ducks (flying) – a plump of ducks
ducks (on water) – a paddling of ducks
ducks – a badling of ducks
ducks – a flush of ducks
ducks – a raft of ducks
ducks – a sord of ducks
ducks – a team of ducks
ducks – a twack of ducks
dunlin – a fling of dunlins
E
eagles – a congress of eagles
eagles – a convocation of eagles
egrets – a stand of egrets
emus – a mob of emus
F
falcons – a cast of falcons
falcons – a soar of falcons
falcons – a tower of falcons
finches – a charm of finches
finches – a trembling of finches
finches – a trimming of finches
flamingos – a flamboyance of flamingos
flamingos – a stand of flamingos
G
godwits – an omniscience of godwits
godwits – a prayer of godwits
godwits – a pantheon of godwits
goldfinches – a drum of goldfinches
goldfinches – a troubling of goldfinches
goldfinches – a charm of goldfinches
goldfinches – a chirm of goldfinches
goosanders – a dopping of goo sanders
geese – a gaggle of geese
geese (flying) – a wedge of geese
geese – a nide of geese
geese – a skein of geese
geese (on water) – a plump of geese
goshawks – a flight of goshawks
grouse – a covey of grouse
grouse – a lek of grouse
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
H
hawks – a cast of hawks
hawks (tame) – a lease of hawks
hawks – a kettle of hawks
hawks (in flight) – a boil of hawks
hen harriers – a harassment of hen harriers
hen harriers – a swarm of hen harriers
hens – a brood of hens
herons – a glean of herons
herons – a siege of herons
herons – a sedge of herons
herons – a station of herons
honeyeaters – a probe of honeyeaters
hummingbirds – a charm of hummingbirds
J
jackdaws – a clattering of jackdaws
jackdaws – a train of jackdaws
jays – a band of jays
jays – a party of jays
jays – a scold of jays
K
kingfishers – a concentration of kingfishers
kingfishers – a crown of kingfishers
kingfishers – a realm of kingfishers
L
lapwings – a deceit of lapwings
lapwings – a desert of lapwings
larks – a bevy of larks
larks – an exaltation of larks
larks – an exalting of larks
M
magpies – a conventicle of magpies
magpies – a gulp of magpies
magpies – a mischief of magpies
magpies – a tidings of magpies
magpies – a tittering of magpies
mallards – a sute of mallards
mallards – a sord of mallards
martins – a richness of martins
mudhen – a fleet of mudhen
N
nightingales – a watch of nightingales
O
owls – a parliament of owls
owls – a stare of owls
owls – a study of owls
owls – a wisdom of owls
oystercatchers – a parcel of oystercatchers
P
parrots – a company of parrots
parrots – a prattle of parrots
parrots – a pandemonium of parrots
partridges – a covey of partridges
peacocks – a muster of peacocks
peacocks – a pride of peacocks
peacocks – an ostentation of peacocks
pelicans – a pod of pelicans
pelicans – a scoop of pelicans
pelicans – a squadron of pelicans
penguins – a colony of penguins
penguins – a creche of penguins
penguins – a huddle of penguins
penguins – a parcel of penguins
penguins – a rookery of penguins
pheasants – a bouquet of pheasants
pheasants – a covey of pheasants
pheasants – a nide of pheasants
pheasants – a nye of pheasants
pigeons – a band of pigeons
pigeons – a dropping of pigeons
pigeons – a kit of pigeons
pigeons – a loft of pigeons
pigeons – a passel of pigeons
pigeons – a stool of pigeons
plovers – a congregation of plovers
ptarmigans – a covey of ptarmigans
Q
quails – a bevy of quail
quails – a covey of quail
R
ravens – a conspiracy of ravens
ravens – a constable of ravens
ravens – an unkindness of ravens
robins – a blush of robins
robins – a bobbin of robins
robins – a breast of robins
robins – a carol of robins
robins – a gift of robins
robins – a reliant of robins
robins – a riot of robins
robins – a rouge of robins
robins – a round of robins
robins – a ruby of robins
robins (American) – a worm of robins
rooks – a building of rooks
rooks – a clamour of rooks
rooks – a parliament of rooks
ruffs – a hill of ruffs
S
sandpipers – a bind of sandpipers
sandpipers – a cluster of sandpipers
sandpipers – a contradiction of sandpipers
sandpipers – a fling of sandpipers
sandpipers – a hill of sandpipers
sandpipers – a time-step of sandpipers
sea fowl – a cloud of sea fowl
seagulls – a colony of seagulls
seagulls – a flock of seagulls
shelducks – a doading of shelducks
shelducks – a dopping of shelducks
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 – an ubiquity of sparrows
starlings – a murmuration of starlings
storks – a muster of storks
storks – a phalanx of storks
swallows – a flight of swallows
swallows – a gulp of swallows
swans – a gaggle of swans
swans (flying) – a wedge of swans
swans – a bank of swans
swans – a bevy of swans
swans – a whiteness of swans
swans – a herd of swans
swans – an eyrar of swans
swans – a gargle of swans
T
teal – a diving of teal
teal – a spring of teal
thrushes – a mutation of thrushes
turkeys – a gang of turkeys
turkeys – a raffle of turkeys
turkeys – a rafter of turkeys
turtle doves – a dole of turtle doves
turtle doves – a pitying of turtle doves
V
vultures – a committee of vultures
vultures – a venue of vultures
vultures – a volt of vultures
vultures – a wake of vultures
vultures (in flight) – a kettle of vultures
W
waterfowl – a knob of waterfowl
waterfowl – a plump of waterfowl
waxwings – a museum of waxwings
wigeon – a coil of wigeon
woodpeckers – a descent of woodpeckers
woodpeckers – a gatling of woodpeckers
woodcocks – a fall of woodcocks
wrens – a herd of wrens
109 Responses
What is a flock of mergansers? Do they just get lumped in with “waterfowl “ as in knob or plump?
A Lightning of. . . .?
Why so many differences with birds?
And who decided all these?
Swifts
No such bird as a seagull. They’re Gulls
Think you missed the joke mate.
What about redshanks?
Collective noun for yellowhammer?
A college of ……?
Swarm. Of hen harriers
Gang of turkeys
Nothing here for vultures? Seriously? Committee, venue, volt, and wake.
Kettle
Swallows
What about shags? (or a better one for cormorants?)
I came across a gulp of cormorants, which I rather like.
Collective noun for Swifts
Scream
Titmice?
A Reliant of Robins! Are you sure? Collective noun for a car park of fibre glass three wheeled cars.
Oh yes; quite. Remember the Riley of Kestrels, the Ford of Falcons and the Aston of Martins!
I bet it’s a laugh a minute in your house mate.
Thought ducks could be referred to as a squad?
Egrets?
I’ve had a few but then again…
Oh, well played!
Bluetits – a bounce, a banditry?
A “deceit” of lapwings