Collective Nouns for Animals
English is a fascinating language, and one of its quirkiest elements is the use of collective nouns special words used to describe groups of people, objects, or animals. When it comes to animals, these group names often carry vivid imagery, humor, and a touch of history.
For instance, did you know a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance? Or that a gathering of crows is known as a murder?
What Are Collective Nouns?
A collective noun refers to a group or collection of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit.
Common & Unusual Collective Nouns for Animals
| Collective Noun | Animal | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| A bale of turtles | Turtles | A bale of turtles sunbathed on the riverbank. |
| A barrel of monkeys | Monkeys | The zoo had a barrel of monkeys swinging from the vines. |
| A barren of mules | Mules | A barren of mules carried supplies up the mountain. |
| A bask of crocodiles | Crocodiles | A bask of crocodiles lay motionless near the shore. |
| A battery of barracudas | Barracudas | Divers avoided the battery of barracudas lurking below. |
| A bazaar of guillemots | Guillemots | A bazaar of guillemots nested along the cliffs. |
| A bed of clams | Clams | The tide revealed a bed of clams in the sand. |
| A bed of eels | Eels | A bed of eels slithered through the seaweed. |
| A bed of oysters | Oysters | Fishermen harvested a bed of oysters from the reef. |
| A bed of snakes | Snakes | A bed of snakes coiled together under the rock. |
| A bed of cockles | Cockles | Children collected a bed of cockles at low tide. |
| A bloat of hippopotamuses | Hippopotamuses | A bloat of hippopotamuses wallowed in the muddy river. |
| A bloat of hippos | Hippos | Tourists photographed the bloat of hippos at sunset. |
| A brood of ducklings | Ducklings | A brood of ducklings followed their mother across the pond. |
| A business of ferrets | Ferrets | A business of ferrets darted through the tunnels. |
| A caravan of camels | Camels | A caravan of camels crossed the desert slowly. |
| A clan of hyenas | Hyenas | A clan of hyenas cackled under the moonlight. |
| A clowder of cats | Cats | A clowder of cats lounged lazily in the barn. |
| A cluster of bees | Bees | A cluster of bees swarmed around the hive. |
| A cluster of grasshoppers | Grasshoppers | A cluster of grasshoppers leaped through the field. |
| A clutch of chicks | Chicks | The hen guarded her clutch of chicks fiercely. |
| A clutter of cats | Cats | A clutter of cats gathered around the food bowl. |
| A clutter of starlings | Starlings | A clutter of starlings darkened the evening sky. |
| A clutter of spiders | Spiders | A clutter of spiders spun webs in the abandoned shed. |
| A colony of ants | Ants | A colony of ants marched in a straight line. |
| A colony of beavers | Beavers | A colony of beavers built an impressive dam. |
| A colony of gulls | Gulls | A colony of gulls squawked loudly at the pier. |
| A colony of penguins | Penguins | A colony of penguins huddled together for warmth. |
| A colony of rabbits | Rabbits | A colony of rabbits burrowed in the meadow. |
| A congress of baboons | Baboons | A congress of baboons foraged noisily in the trees. |
| A cowardice of curs | Dogs (mongrels) | A cowardice of curs scattered at the loud noise. |
| A crash of rhinoceroses | Rhinoceroses | A crash of rhinoceroses charged through the brush. |
| A crash of rhinos | Rhinos | Safari-goers spotted a crash of rhinos near the waterhole. |
| A cry of hounds | Hounds | A cry of hounds bayed during the fox hunt. |
| A culture of bacteria | Bacteria | Under the microscope, a culture of bacteria thrived. |
| A down of hares | Hares | A down of hares darted across the field at dawn. |
| A doylt of swine | Swine (pigs) | A doylt of swine rooted in the mud for food. |
| A draught of fish | Fish | Fishermen hauled in a draught of fish from the net. |
| A dray of squirrels | Squirrels | A dray of squirrels chased each other up the oak tree. |
| A drift of pigs | Pigs | A drift of pigs wandered freely in the orchard. |
| A drove of cattle | Cattle | A drove of cattle grazed peacefully in the pasture. |
| A fall of lambs | Lambs | A fall of lambs frolicked in the spring meadow. |
| A family of otters | Otters | A family of otters played in the river currents. |
| A fesnyng of ferrets | Ferrets | A fesnyng of ferrets explored every corner of the room. |
| A field of racehorses | Racehorses | A field of racehorses thundered down the track. |
| A flamboyance of flamingos | Flamingos | A flamboyance of flamingos stood elegantly in the lagoon. |
| A flight of dragons | Dragons (mythical) | In the fantasy novel, a flight of dragons darkened the sky. |
| A flink of cows | Cows | A flink of cows meandered back to the barn at dusk. |
| A float of crocodiles | Crocodiles | A float of crocodiles drifted silently in the river. |
| A flock of geese | Geese | A flock of geese flew in a V-formation overhead. |
| A flock of lice | Lice | The vet found a flock of lice on the stray dog. |
| A flock of sheep | Sheep | A flock of sheep followed the shepherd’s call. |
| A fluther of jellyfish | Jellyfish | A fluther of jellyfish pulsed gently in the ocean current. |
| A flutter of butterflies | Butterflies | A flutter of butterflies descended on the wildflowers. |
| A fry of eels | Eels | A fry of eels wriggled in the shallow stream. |
| A gamble of alligators | Alligators | A gamble of alligators lurked in the swamp. |
| A herd of boars | Boars | A herd of boars rooted through the forest undergrowth. |
| A herd of calves | Calves | A herd of calves stayed close to their mothers. |
| A herd of cattle | Cattle | The rancher moved his herd of cattle to greener pastures. |
| A kennel of dogs | Dogs | A kennel of dogs barked excitedly at feeding time. |
| A litter of cubs | Cubs (e.g., lions) | The lioness guarded her litter of cubs fiercely. |
| A litter of kittens | Kittens | A litter of kittens tumbled playfully in the hay. |
| A litter of puppies | Puppies | The children adored the new litter of puppies. |
| A mischief of mice | Mice | A mischief of mice scurried through the pantry. |
| A pandemonium of parrots | Parrots | A pandemonium of parrots squawked in the jungle canopy. |
| A parliament of owls | Owls | A parliament of owls watched silently from the trees. |
| A pod of whales | Whales | A pod of whales breached the ocean’s surface majestically. |
| A pride of lions | Lions | A pride of lions rested under the acacia tree. |
| A school of trout | Trout | A school of trout darted through the clear mountain stream. |
| A shoal of fry | Fry (young fish) | A shoal of fry shimmered near the riverbank. |
| A skulk of foxes | Foxes | A skulk of foxes slipped through the moonlit field. |
| A swarm of flies | Flies | A swarm of flies buzzed around the rotting fruit. |
| A swarm/hive of bees | Bees | A swarm of bees surrounded the fallen honeycomb. |
| A tower of giraffes | Giraffes | A tower of giraffes gracefully nibbled leaves from the treetops. |
| A troop of monkeys | Monkeys | A troop of monkeys chattered noisily in the rainforest. |
| A yoke of oxen | Oxen | A yoke of oxen pulled the heavy wagon steadily. |
| A clutch of eggs | Eggs (bird/reptile) | The turtle buried her clutch of eggs in the sand. |
| An army of ants | Ants | An army of ants carried crumbs twice their size. |
| An earth of foxes | Foxes | An earth of foxes raised their kits in the hidden den. |
Fun Facts About Animal Collective Nouns
- The term “murder of crows” dates back to medieval times, reflecting the bird’s ominous symbolism.
- “Parliament of owls” likely originated from C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.
- Some nouns like “a crash of rhinos” or “a confusion of guinea fowl” are humorous and vividly descriptive.
Whether you’re a writer, language learner, or trivia enthusiast, learning collective nouns for animals adds color and charm to your English. These words not only improve vocabulary but also bring out the poetry in everyday language.
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