Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Animal
Albatross Antelopes Ants Apes Asses Auks Baboons Badgers Bats Bears Beavers Bees Rookery Herd, cluster, herd Nest, army, colony, state, swarm, bike Shrewdness, troop Pace, drove, herd, coffle Colony, flock, raft Troop, flange Cete, colony, set, company Colony, cloud Sloth, sleuth, slought Family, lodge, colony Swarm, cluster, nest, hive, erst, bike, cast, college, drift, game, fry, peck, rabble, stand, range, butt, spindle, grist Birds Bison Bitterns Battery, cast, congregation, covert, covey, drift, flight, fleet, flock, flush, nest, aviary Herd Flock, sedge, siege
Group Name
Bloodhounds Sute Boars Buffaloes Bullfinches Bullocks Butterflies Camels Caribou Caterpillars Cats Sounder, singular, herd Troop, herd, gang, obstinacy Bellowing Drove Rabble, flight Flock, train, caravan, herd Herd Army, nest Clowder, clutter, cluster, colony, glorying, kindle, litter, dout, parliament, seraglio, glaring, destruction (wild cats) Cattle Chicken Chinchilla Clams Cockroaches Cod Colts Cormorants Drove, herd, bow, bunch, draft, drift, flote, head, diary Brood, clutch, hatching, nest, parcel, peep, battery, flock Colony Bed Intrusion Lap Rake, rage Colony, flight
Cows Crabs Cranes Crocodiles Crows Deer Dogs Dolphins Doves Ducks Eagles Eels Elephants Elks Ferrets Finches Fish Flies Flamingoes Foxes Frogs Geese Giraffes Gnats Goats Goldfish Gorillas
Dairy, drove, pack, team Cast Flock, herd, sedge, siege, sege Bask, nest Murder, parcel, hover Herd, leash, bevy, game, quarry, bunch, mob Gang, legion, kennel, pack, stud Team, school Duet, dule, dole, flight, troop, pitying (of turtle doves) Bunch, brood, knob, raft, skein, string, mob, paddling, plump, sord, sore, team, waddling Aerie, brood, convocation, cargo Swarm, bed, bind, draft, fry, wisp Herd, flock, parade Gang, herd Business Chirm, charm School, shoal, haul, draught, run, catch, cran, flote, flutter, cast, throw, warp Business, hatch, grist, swarm, community, fare, rabble, cloud Stand Cloud, skulk, brace, leash, troop, earth Army, colony, froggery Gaggle, clutch, flock, line, skein, nide, wedge Herd, corps, troop, tower Swarm, cloud, horde, plague, rabble Flock, trip, herd, tribe Troubling Band
Grasshoppers Cloud Hares Hawks Hedgehogs Hens Hippopotami Hornets Horses Insects Down, flick, huske, kindle, tripp, drove, warren, dun Aerie, brood, cast, leash, mews, staff Nest, array Battery, brood, parcel, roost, mews, concatenation Bloat, school, pod, herd Nest, bike, swarm Haras, stud, herd, string, field, set, team, stable, mews, mob, parcel, rag, slate Horde, nest, swarm, rabble, plague
Jackrabbits Jellyfish Kangaroos Larks Leopards Lice Lions Locusts Magpies Mallard Mice Midges Minnows Moles Monkeys Moose Mosquitoes Mules Nightingales Otters Owls Oxen Oysters Parrots Peacocks Pekingese Penguins Pigeons Pigs Porpoises Quail Rabbits Racoons Ravens Reindeer Rhinoceros
Husk Smuck, fluther, smack, stuck, smuth, brood Troop, mob, herd Bevy, exaltation, flight, wisp Leap Flock Pride, troop, flock, sawt, souse Swarm, cloud, plague Tiding, tittering Flush, lute, puddling, sord, sute Nest, colony, harvest Bite Shoal, steam, or swarm Company, labour, citadel (of mole burrows) Troop, cartload, tribe Herd Scourge Barren, span, mulada, rake Watch, flock, route Bevy, lodge, family Parliament, stare Team, yoke, drove, or herd Bed, cast, clam, hive, set Company, flock, pandemonium Pride, muster, ostentation Pomp Parcel, rookery Flight, flock, loft Drove, fare, litter, flock, hoggery, sounder, nest of trotters School, crowd, herd, shoal, gam, pod, turmoil Bevy, covey, jug Bevy, bury (of conies), flick, kindle, nest, game, warren, colony Nursery Unkindness Herd Crash, stubbornness, herd
Rooks Salmon Sardines Scorpions Seals Sharks Sheep Snails Snakes Spiders Squirrels Starlings Stoats Storks Swallows Swans Swine Tigers Toads Trout Turkeys Turtles Vipers Vultures Walruses Wasps Weasels Whales Wildfowl Wolves
Building, clamour, congregation, council, pack, shoal, wing Run, bind Family Bed, nest Pod, herd, trip, rookery, flock, plump, harem School or shoal Flock, hirsel, drove trip, drift, fold, hurtle, parcel, mob, down, pack Escargatoire, rout, walk Bed, knot, den, pit Cluster, clutter Drey, colony Cloud, chattering, murmuration, clattering Pack, trip Flight, mustering, phalanx Flight, gulp, rush Flock, bevy, bank, eyrar, drift, game, herd, sownder, team, wedge Sounder, drift, herd, trip, drone, singular (of boars) Ambush Knot, nest, knob Hover, leash, troup Duet, crop, posse, rafter, gang Bale, dole, turn, dule nest Carpets, cast, drove, flock, herd Pod, herd, huddle Nest, knot, knab, bike, swarm Pack School, gam, mob, pod, herd, plump, run, flote, shoal Lute, plump, scry, skein, sord, trip Rout, route, pack, head, horde
Woodpeckers Descent Worms Zebras Bed, clew, bunch, clat Herd, zeal, cohorts
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.
cete/colony of badgers sloth of bears cluster/swarm/drift/hive/erst of bees flock/flight/pod of birds chatter of budgerigars herd/gang/obstinancy of buffalo bellowing of bullfinches drove of bullocks caravan/flock of camels army of caterpillars chowder/clowder/cluster/glaring of cats herd/drove of cattle brood/clutch/peep of chickens chattering of choughs rag/rake of colts covert of coots herd of cranes bask of crocodiles clan/hover/murder of crows litter of cubs herd of curlew herd/mob of deer cowardice/pack/kennel of dogs pod/school of dolphins trip of dotterel flight/dole/piteousness/prettying of doves paddling of ducks (on water) safe of ducks (on land) fling of dunlins convocation of eagles swarm of eels herd/parade of elephants herd/gang of elk cast of falcons busyness/cast/fesynes of ferrets charm of finches shoal/run of fish flurry/regiment/skein of flamingoes business/cloud/scraw/swarm of flies earth/lead/skulk of foxes gaggle of geese (on land) skein/team/wedge of geese (in flight) corps/herd/troop/kalaedescope of giraffes cloud of gnats flock/herd/trip of goats charm/chattering/chirp/drum of goldfinch troubling of goldfish band of gorillas cloud of grasshoppers brace/leash/pack of greyhounds brood/pack/covey of grouse down/drove/husk/lie/trip/mute/husk of hares cast of hawks array of hedgehogs scattering/sedge/siege of herons army/gleam/shoal of herring bloat/pod of hippopotami drove/string/stud/team of horses pack/cry/kennel of hounds crowd of ibis flight/swarm of insects brood/fluther/smuck of jellyfish
67. herd/mob/troop of kangaroos 68. kindle/litter of kittens 69. deceit/desert of lapwings 70. bevy/exaltation of larks 71. leap/lepe of leopards 72. flock/pride/sawt/souse/troop of lions 73. tiding/tittering of magpies 74. sord/suit of mallard 75. stud of mares 76. richesse of martens 77. nest of mice 78. company/labour/movement/mumble of moles 79. troop of monkeys 80. cartload/pack/span/barren of mules 81. match/puddling/watch of nightingales 82. flock of ostrich 83. bevy/family of otters 84. parliament/stare of owls 85. yoke of oxen 86. pandemonium of parrots 87. covey of partridges 88. muster of peacocks 89. muster/parcel/rookery of penguins 90. brook/bevy/head/ostentation/pride/nye of pheasants 91. kit of pigeons (in flight) 92. farrow of piglets 93. litter/herd of pigs 94. congregation/flight/stand/wing of plovers 95. rush/flight of pochards 96. pod/school/herd/turmoil of porpoises 97. covey of ptarmigan 98. litter of pups 99. bevy/covey/drift of quail 100. bury/colony/nest/warren of rabbits 101. nursery of raccoons 102. string of racehorses 103. colony of rats 104. unkindness of ravens 105. crash of rhinoceros 106. bevy of roe deer 107. parliament/building/clamour/rookery of rooks 108. hill of ruffs 109. family of sardines 110. pod/harem/herd/rookery of seals 111. flock/herd/trip/mob of sheep 112. dopping of sheldrake 113. den/pit/nest of snakes 114. walk/wisp/whisper/wish of snipe 115. host/surration/quarrel of sparrows 116. cluster/clutter of spiders 117. drey of squirrels 118. chattering/crowd/murmation of starlings 119. flight of swallows 120. bank/bevy/game/herd/squadron, teeme/wedge/whiteness of swans (on land) 121. drift/herd/sounder of swine 122. spring of teal 123. mutation of thrush 124. ambush of tigers 125. knab/knot of toads 126. hover of trout 127. dule/raffle/rafter of turkeys 128. bale/turn of turtles
129. herd/nest/pledge of wasps 130. bunch/knob of waterfowl 131. colony/school/herd/pod/gam of whales 132. company/trip of wigeon 133. sounder of wild boar 134. dout/destruction of wild cats 135. team of wild ducks (in flight) 136. bunch/trip/plump/knob of wildfowl 137. pack/rout of wolves 138. covey/fall/flight/plump of woodcock 139. descent of woodpeckers 140. herd of wrens 141. zeal of zebras
ANIMAL/SPECIES
ANTELOPES ANTS A HERD of antelopes. A COLONY of ants.
TERM
Melissa Bee
An ARMY of ants. A STATE or SWARM of ants. A SHREWDNESS of apes A HERD or PACE of asses A DROVE of asses. A TROOP of baboons
Michael Haberl
APES ASSES
BABOONS
A FLANGE*** of baboons
Judith Rich
A CONGRESS of baboons.
John Provost
BACTERIA
A COLONY of bacteria. Micribiologists call groups of bacteria COLONIES. A culture would consist of many colonies.
Ron Orts
A CULTURE of bacteria.
Chris Moffatt
BATS
A COLONY of bats.
Melissa Bee.
A CLOUD of bats.
Keith Harris
BEARS BEAVERS
A SLOTH or SLEUTH of bears A COLONY of beavers. A FAMILY of beavers. A GRIST, HIVE, SWARM, DRIFT or BIKE of bees A CLUSTER, ERST or NEST of bees. A FLOCK, FLIGHT, or PARCEL of birds. A POD of birds (small flock) A VOLARY of birds (in an aviary) A BRACE = a pair of gamebirds or waterfowl * * Melissa Bee. A DISSIMULATION of birds.
Phillip Joss
BEES
BIRDS
BISON BITTERNS
BOAR (WILD)
BOBOLINKS
Just in case there is anyone else out there who, like me, doesn't know what a Bobolink is I have been reliably informed by Amelia B., that it is a small bird. The male is black and white with a yellow cap on his head and the female is golden brown with brown markings. Another name for a bobolink is a whippoorwill*** (their call sounds a little like someone saying the word whippoorwill).
Thanks to Eric Pittenger for this additional information.
John Canepa as also provided the following information: Bobolinks and whippoorwills are two different birds. The bobolink is a small-medium size bird dwelling in open fields where it makes its nest on the ground and has one of the most amazing and hysterical songs ever. The whippoorwill is a medium size bird, active at night, with plumage so as that you practically step on them as they rest on the forest floor. An interesting note about the whippoorwill is that they will come to rest in a circle, with their tails all facing in so that they can be protected from danger. Susan Vanderveen also confirms - I respectively submit the information that a Bobolink and Whip-poor-will are not two terms for one bird. They are two very distinct species. A BRACE OR CLASH of bucks.
Michael Haberl
BUCK
I was looking at your wonderful list of animal collectives for my website (everbosity.wordpress.com) and came across the use of "brace" several times, firstly under birds. A brace is a pair of anything and not specifically related to any animal. A player can score a brace of goals in a football match for example. I wouldn't consider it a collective title.
Tench Ringgold
BUDGERIGARS
A CHATTER of budgerigars.
A HERD, TROUP, GANG or OBSTINACY of buffalo A DROVE of bullocks. A SWARM or RABBLE of butterflies. A KALEIDOSCOPE of butterflies.
Christina Gonzales
A FLUTTER of butterflies.
Priscilla Weikert
A RAINBOW of butterflies.
Amy Black
BUZZARDS
A WAKE of buzzards.
Melissa Bee
CATTLE
"Cattle" refers to both male and female cows. Gwendolyn Cannon Gwendolyn Cannon suggests that 'Cattle' refers to both male and female cows. You must be joshing me Gwendolyn. There is no such thing as a male cow ! He's either a "Bull" or a "steer/Ox". I'll bet you did that on purpose just to see how many responses you get, didn't you ? Donald Gillis Additional Clarification Although Donald is, of course, correct, in defence of Gwendolyn I think she was using the term 'cow' colloquially as it is quite difficult to think of a term which covers both sexes(hence the use of the term 'cattle' in the first place. According to Oxford Dictionaries - the definition of 'cattle' is 'large ruminant animals with horns and cloven hoofs, domesticated for meat or milk, or as beasts of burden; cows and oxen.' Another term for male cattle is 'bullock'. A bullock is a male domestic bovine animal that has been castrated and is raised for beef. A CLOWDER of cats. (sent in by Paul Chapin) A POUNCE of cats. A KINDLE, LITTER OR INTRIGUE (for kittens)
Melissa Bee
CATS
A CHOWDER of cats.
Amy Black
CHEETAHS
A COALITION of cheetahs
Lisa Ashley Mayock
CHICKEN CHICKS
CHOUGHS CLAMS
COCKROACHES
An INTRUSION of cockroaches.
Melissa Bee
COLTS COOTS
CORMORANTS
COWS
A HERD of cows.
Patricia Ellistone
"Kine" refers to only female cows (like a dairy herd). "Cattle" refers to both male and female cows. Gwendolyn Cannon
SEE ALSO "CATTLE" above for other terms.
COYOTE
Don
A BAND of coyotes
Haberl
Michael
A ROUT of coyotes
Stockwell
Bud
CRABS
A BUSHEL*** of crabs
Kristen Reece
A CAST of crabs
C. MacIntire
CRANES
CROCODILES
A STRIKER (unconfirmed)
Mike Paget
CROWS
A HORDE of crows.
Melissa Bee
A PARLIAMENT of crows.
Jill Dean
DOGFISH
A TROOP of dogfish
DOGS
DOLPHINS
DONKEYS
DOTTEREL
A TRIP of dotterel.
DOVES
A PLAGUE of doves
Jay Johnson
DUCKS
A RAFT, PADDLING or BUNCH of ducks on water. A TEAM, BRACE, BED, FLIGHT OR FLOCK* of wild ducks in flight.
Melissa Bee
A BADLING of ducks.
Gordon Potts
I was looking at your wonderful list of animal collectives for my website (everbosity.wordpress.com) and came across the use of "brace" several times, firstly under birds. A brace is a pair of anything and not specifically related to any animal. A player can score a brace of goals in a football match for example. I wouldn't consider it a collective title.
Tench Ringgold
DUNLINS EAGLES
EELS
An ARRAY of eels.
John Beumer
A SEETHING of eels.
David Thomson
ELEPHANTS
A CRASH of elephants.
Susan Walsh
ELK EMUS
FERRETS
A BUSINESS of ferrets.
( Clyde Hogendobler, Phillip Joss & Brian Schott)
A BUSYNESS of ferrets.
Angus Mackintosh Other spellings of this term can be see at http://www.all-aboutferrets.com/collective-noun-for-ferrets.html
FINCHES FISH
A CHARM of finches A SHOAL, DRAFT, NEST, SCHOOL* of fish. A RUN of fish in motion.
* Melissa Bee
FLAMINGOES
A STAND of flamingoes.
Melissa Bee
A FLAMBOYANCE of flamingoes.
Kevin Yocum
FLIES
FOXES
A SKULK of foxes
Clyde Hogendobler
FROGS
Michael Haberl
Luke Fewings
GEESE
GERBILS GIRAFFES
A GAGGLE or FLOCK of geese. A SKEIN, TEAM or WEDGE of geese (in the air) A PLUMP of geese (on water) A HORDE of gerbils. A CORPS, TROOP, HERD of giraffes. A TOWER of giraffes.
Melissa Bee
A KINDERGARTEN of giraffes.
James Marohn
A JOURNEY of giraffes.
Raila and Jon Foley
A KALEIDOSCOPE of giraffes
Jess Gayner (via South African Game Ranger)
GNATS
GNUS
An IMPLAUSIBILITY of gnus.
Andrew Davidson
GOATS
A FLOCK, HERD or TRIBE of goats A TRIP of goats (This is not one I have heard of before thank you Lee Lundberg) A CHARM of goldfinches. A TROUBLING of goldfish. A BAND of gorillas
Clyde Hogendobler
A WHOOP of gorillas. Several people have suggested a 'flange' of gorillas as this was featured in Series 2, episode 5 of 'Not The Nine
GUINEA FOWL
GUINEA PIGS
GULLS
A COLONY of gulls.
Melissa Bee
HAMSTERS
A HORDE of hamsters.
Margie and John
HARES
HAWKS
HERRING
An ARMY of herring.
Melissa Bee
HIPPOPOTAMI
HOATZIN
(South American jungle bird)
A DONGLE of hoatzin.
Elliot Eaton
HOGS
HORNETS
A NEST of hornets.
Melissa Bee
HORSES
A STUD or STRING of horses (Breeding) A TEAM, HARRAS, PAIR or RAG of horses (i.e. colts.)* A FIELD, HERD, REMUDA, SET or STABLE of horses.
* Melissa Bee
HOUNDS
A PACK, KENNEL, MUTE or CRY of hounds Possibly LEASH of hounds (but cannot confirm this fact)
John Branda.
HUMMINGBIRDS
HYENAS
A CACKLE of hyenas.
Melissa Bee
A BROOD, SMUCK or SMACK of jellyfish. A MOB or TROOP of kangaroos A KENDLE, KINDLE or LITTER of kittens. A LOVELINESS of ladybirds.
Sent in by Simon Odell - not authenticated but too nice to omit.
LARKS
An ASCENSION of larks.
Michael Haberl
LEMURS
A TROOP of lemurs.
Alex Dunkel
LEOPARDS
A LEAP of leopards
Clyde Hogendobler
LICE LIONS
A FLOCK of lice. A PRIDE, FLOCK, SAWT, SOUSE, or TROOP of lions. A SAULT of lions.
Alexandra Bylczynski
LOCUSTS LOONS
Dr. Mulhearn kindly provided some additional information on this subject. "The term is not often usable because they rarely group. On occasion however, for reasons yet unknown, they will meet for short periods, on a lake in groups numbering from a half dozen to a few dozen. They drift around the lake in their raft for a few days until they eventually again go their separate ways." A TITTERING, TIDING, GULP, MURDER or CHARM* of magpies.
* Melissa Bee
MAGPIES
MALLARDS
I was looking at your wonderful list of animal collectives for my website (everbosity.wordpress.com) and came across the use of "brace" several times, firstly under birds. A brace is a pair of anything and not specifically related to any animal. A player can score a brace of goals in a football match for example. I wouldn't consider it a collective title.
Tench Ringgold
MARES
A STUD of mares.
Michael Haberl
MARTENS
A RICHNESS of martens.
Melissa Bee
A RICHESSE of martens.
Jayne Collins
MEERKATS
A MOB of meerkats.
Kristin Howard
MICE
MINNOWS MOLES
A MISCHIEF of mice. A HORDE of mice. A HARVEST of mice. A COLONY of mice. A NEST of mice. A STEAM of minnows. A LABOUR of moles.
Phillip Joss
MONGOOSES
A BUSINESS of mongooses.
Steve Rundstrom
MONKEYS
NIGHTINGALES
OTTERS
A RAFT of otters
Donald Cheek.
OWLS
A PARLIAMENT of owls.
Anonymous contributor & Raila and Jon Foley
A STUDY of owls.
Amelia B.
OXEN
A SPAN* of oxen
Richard Bowen *(I believe this may refer to a team of two or more)
OYSTERS
A BED of oysters
Clyde Hogendobler and Kristen Reece
PARROTS
PARTRIDGES PEACOCKS
A PULCHRITUDE of peacocks.
* S. M. Steven.
PEEPS
A LITTER of peeps.
Michael Haberl
PELICANS
A SQUADRON of pelicans.
Miranda
PENGUINS
PHEASANTS
PIGEONS
I have been advised by Terry West that this can also be a "LOFT" of pigeons. I am, however, a little nervous about this one as I know pigeons' living quarters are called a Loft. You question a 'loft' of pigeons because a loft may be a pigeon's home. Many creatures can be referred to in this way - cf. a dray of squirrels; and I wonder if a cete of badgers is not, at heart, a 'set' of badgers.
Roger Whiteway
PIGS
A HERD, TRIP or LITTER of pigs A DRIFT, DROVE, SOUNDER (swine), TEAM, PASSEL (hog s)*
* Melissa Bee
PTARMIGAN PUPS
QUAIL
RABBITS
A TRACE of rabbits.
Alexandra Bylczynski Several people, including Lyle McNair, have submitted this term but it has always been my understanding that 'warren' was the name given to the network of interconnecting rabbit burrows in which rabbits live. Collective nouns are notoriously difficult to authenticate but during research, although I could not find official clarification that warren is an authentic collective noun, I have seen other references to its use so I have decided to include it.
A WARREN of rabbits. Lyle has now sent me some additional information regarding the use of the term "warren" as a collective noun. The "World English Dictionary" (accessible through www.dictionary.com) defines "warren" as "a colony of rabbits" and "colony" in a zoological sense is further defined as "a group of the same type of animal or plant living or growing together, especially in large numbers". A GAZE of raccoons.
Chris Lam
RACCOONS
RACEHORSES RATS
A MISCHIEF of rats.
Phil Malia,
RATTLESNAKES
A RHUMBA of rattlesnakes.
Michael Haberl.
RAVENS
A CONSPIRACY of ravens.
Alex Baxter
REINDEER
A HERD of reindeer.
RHINOS
ROEBUCKS ROOKS
A PARLIAMENT of rooks.
Clayton Deathe
ROTIFERS
(a type of plankton found in lakes and rivers)
A POD of rotifers.
Matt
SCHNAUZERS
A STENCH of Schnauzers No complaints please, this was sent in by DD a Schnauzer owner who is a Veterinary Surgeon (identity protected by me, for obvious reasons!!!!) A RAFT of sea otters Donald
Cheek.
A FLOCK of seagulls.
Jason Murray
SEAHORSES
A HERD of seahorses.
* It is rare for seahorses to group together so there is no real collective noun but the above is the term sometimes used for a collection of seahorses.
Paul Bergeron has also advised that the term for the offspring of seahorses is "fry".
SEALS
A HERD, HAREM*, TRIP or ROOKERY* of seals A POD of seals (a small herd) * Tom Clarke has commented - "I note that you list harem for seals. A harem usually refers to a group of female seals who have been organized or collected by a single male for breeding purposes." * Leigh-Anne Kolasinski advises that the term "rookery" is normally used for the place where seals give birth rather than as a collective noun. Another term used for on land habitat of seals/sea lions is 'haul-out' but this would not be used as a collective noun. D. C. Reid.
I have noticed that many of the collective nouns featured on the various pages do in fact refer to the habitat rather than groups but these terms are notoriously difficult to authenticate; even the most prestigious dictionaries do not feature them, presumably for that reason. I am led to believe, however, that the The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (ed. Maurice Waite, 2007) shows this term as being a collective noun.
SHARKS
A SHIVER of sharks.
Melissa Bee
SHEEP
SKUNKS
A SURFEIT of skunks.
Mary Gutierrez
SKYLARKS
An ASCENSION of skylarks.
David Milne
SNAKES
SNIPE SPARROWS
A WISP or WALK of snipe A HOST of sparrows. A KNOT of sparrows. (Thomas Hardy Far from the Madding Crowd)
Steve
SQUIRRELS
* Laurel Parker has pointed out "I believe the term "dray" of squirrels is incorrect, since a dray is the name for a squirrel's sleeping quarters, and most of the time there is only one squirrel inhabiting a dray. At most, a dray would house a litter (2-4 babies) plus mom but that is only twice a year. Squirrels do use a buddy system when they can and pair or triple up for safety ( this is not their mates but often siblings or two weaker members of a greater community will buddy for strength in numbers). Any way you look at it, a dray doesn't hold much of a group."
I did some research on the subject and the term "dray" some appear to be the popular choice, however, like Laurel, experts say that as squirrels are fairly solitary creatures there is probably no need for a collective noun. I doubt if the lady who sent in the photos featured on the following site would agree! http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/mammal-forums/12141-do-i-really-deserve.html
STARLINGS
A MURMATION of starlings.
Elazar Friedman
A MURMURATION of starlings.
Corrected by Andrew Okulitch
A FILTH of starlings
Wayne Bickley
A CHATTERING of starlings.
Richard Sanborn BA, MA, JD
AN AFFLICTION of starlings.
John Nanian
STINGRAYS
A FEVER of stingrays.
Ellie Foran & Darryll Griffiths
STORKS
A MUSTERING of storks.
Melissa Bee
SWALLOWS
SWANS
A GAME, BANK, TEAM, HERD or BEVY* of swans. A WEDGE of swans in the air.
Melissa Bee
A LAMENTATION of swans.
Michael Haberl
A BALLET of swans.
Tom
SWIFTS
A FLOCK of swifts
Michael Haberl
SWINE TADPOLES
A SPRING of teal. A BROOD, COLONY, NEST OR SWARM of termites. A MUTATION of thrushes. An AMBUSH or STREAK* of tigers.
* Melissa Bee
TOADS
A CLUTCH * of turkeys.
Anon * I think this term usually refers to the eggs e.g. "a clutch of eggs"
TURTLE DOVES
TURTLES
A TURN of turtles.
* Melissa Bee
UNICORNS
A FANTASY of unicorns. Natalie Stevens A BLESSING of unicorns. Jayne Collins. A GLORY of unicorns. Brigitte Wray-Miller (via Bruce Coville) A SURPRISE of unicorns. Danielle W. (via Jane Yolen's short story "The Boy Who Drew Unicorns" A NEST of vipers. Mel
issa Bee
VIPERS
A BROOD of vipers. The term 'brood' has been applied to vipers, most notably by Jesus (Matthew 12:34, Matthew 23:33), but also by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:7). Whether or not this stands up to scrutiny and qualifies as a precedent (given that neither of the two were scientists, nor were the translators of the Bible) is, of course, up to you.
Indy Sambasivam
VULTURES
A COMMITTEE of vultures.
Kevin Yocum
WALRUSES WASPS
WATERFOWL
WEASELS
WHALES
WIDGEON WILDFOWL
A SCHOOL, HERD or GAM of whales A POD of whales (small school) A GRIND of bottle nose whales A COMPANY or TRIP of widgeon A BUNCH, TRIP or PLUMP of wildfowl. A KNOB of wildfowl (less than 30)
WOLVES WOMBATS
A FALL of woodcocks. A DESCENT of woodpeckers. A CLEW of worms. A HERD of wrens A CHIME of wrens
p Joss
Philli
ZEBRAS