Collective nouns for animals name groups of animals, including a pride of lions, a herd of elephants, a flock of birds, and a school of fish. Some names are everyday descriptions; others are traditional, playful, or literary expressions rather than scientific terms.
Key facts
- Herd, flock, pack, colony, school, shoal, pod, and swarm apply to numerous species.
- Pride is a familiar term for a social group of lions.
- A parliament of owls is traditional vocabulary, not a claim that owls routinely meet in large groups.
- The preferred term depends on species, behavior, location, and context.
Collective nouns for mammals
| Word or pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Apes | troop |
| baboons | troop |
| badgers | cete |
| bats | colony |
| bears | sleuth |
| beavers | colony |
| bison | herd |
| buffalo | herd |
| camels | caravan |
| cats | clowder |
| cattle | herd |
| chimpanzees | troop |
| deer | herd |
| dogs | pack |
| dolphins | pod |
| donkeys | drove |
| elephants | herd |
| elk | herd |
| ferrets | business |
| foxes | skulk |
| giraffes | tower |
| goats | herd |
| gorillas | troop |
| hedgehogs | array |
| hippopotamuses | bloat |
| horses | herd |
| hyenas | clan |
| kangaroos | mob |
| leopards | leap |
| lions | pride |
| mice | mischief |
| monkeys | troop |
| otters | raft |
| oxen | team |
| pigs | sounder |
| porcupines | prickle |
| rabbits | colony |
| rhinoceroses | crash |
| seals | colony |
| sheep | flock |
| skunks | surfeit |
| squirrels | scurry |
| tigers | streak |
| walruses | herd |
| whales | pod |
| wolves | pack |
| wombats | wisdom |
| zebras | herd or dazzle |
Collective nouns for birds
| Word or pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Albatrosses | rookery |
| blackbirds | cloud |
| buzzards | wake |
| chickens | flock |
| cormorants | flight |
| crows | murder |
| doves | flight |
| ducks | flock or raft |
| eagles | convocation |
| flamingos | flamboyance |
| geese | gaggle or skein |
| goldfinches | charm |
| grouse | covey |
| gulls | colony |
| hawks | kettle |
| herons | siege |
| hummingbirds | charm |
| larks | exaltation |
| magpies | tiding |
| owls | parliament |
| parrots | pandemonium |
| peacocks | muster |
| pelicans | squadron |
| penguins | colony |
| pheasants | nye |
| pigeons | flock |
| quail | covey |
| ravens | unkindness |
| robins | round |
| sparrows | host |
| starlings | murmuration |
| swallows | flight |
| swans | bevy |
| turkeys | rafter |
| vultures | wake |
| woodpeckers | descent |
Fish and marine animals
| Word or pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Barracudas | school |
| clams | bed |
| cod | school |
| crabs | cast |
| dolphins | pod |
| fish | school or shoal |
| herring | school |
| jellyfish | bloom |
| lobsters | risk |
| oysters | bed |
| porpoises | pod |
| salmon | run or school |
| sardines | school |
| seahorses | herd |
| sharks | shiver |
| shrimp | swarm |
| squid | shoal |
| stingrays | fever |
| tuna | school |
| turtles | bale |
| whales | pod |
A shoal is a fish grouping; schooling more specifically describes coordinated swimming.
Insects and other invertebrates
| Word or pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ants | colony |
| bees | swarm or colony |
| butterflies | kaleidoscope |
| caterpillars | army |
| cockroaches | intrusion |
| flies | swarm |
| grasshoppers | cloud |
| ladybugs | loveliness |
| locusts | swarm |
| mosquitoes | swarm |
| moths | eclipse |
| snails | escargatoire |
| spiders | cluster |
| termites | colony |
| wasps | swarm or colony |
Reptiles and amphibians
| Word or pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Alligators | congregation |
| cobras | quiver |
| crocodiles | bask or float |
| frogs | army |
| lizards | lounge |
| newts | knot |
| salamanders | congress |
| snakes | den or nest |
| toads | knot |
| tortoises | creep |
| turtles | bale |
| vipers | nest |
Many of these species are solitary for substantial periods, so traditional group terms should not be mistaken for descriptions of permanent social groups.
Which terms should you use in everyday writing?
Herd, flock, pack, colony, school, shoal, pod, and swarm are straightforward and widely understood. In creative writing, a murder of crows or parliament of owls may add a colorful traditional expression; in scientific writing, a group of crows or group of owls can be clearer.
Example sentences
“The herd of cattle grazed in the field.” “A flock of birds flew over the lake.” “A colony of ants built a nest.” “A pod of dolphins followed the boat.” “A school of fish moved near the reef.” Collective nouns can take singular verbs when a group is treated as a unit; British English sometimes uses a plural verb to emphasize individual members.
Frequently asked questions
What is a group of lions called?
A pride. A typical pride contains related females, young lions, and one or more adult males.
What is a group of fish called?
A school or shoal; coordinated swimming is especially associated with schooling.
Are these terms all scientific names?
No. Many unusual names come from traditional or literary vocabulary and are not formal zoological classifications.
Conclusion
Collective nouns for animals enrich vocabulary when selected according to actual animal behavior and the context of the writing.
