Animal Group Terminology
You might be familiar with some groups of animals and their collective nouns, such as a herd of horses or a gaggle of geese. These are fairly common terms that many people associate with a particular gathering of animal species.
Some animal group terminology is obscure, unexpected, or incredibly specific. For example, a group of Indonesian mountain weasels is called a boogle!
Additionally, some animal names can be easily confused – did you know that a flock of ravens is not called a murder, but an unkindness of ravens? It’s actually a murder of crows.
So, do you know what to call a group of rhinos or jellyfish? Read on for a list of animal group names from a shrewdness of apes to a flamboyance of flamingos!
| Classification | Species Name | Group Name |
|---|---|---|
| Mammals | apes | shrewdness |
| asses | pace | |
| badgers | cete | |
| bats | colony | |
| bears | sleuth, sloth | |
| buffalo | gang, obstinancy, herd | |
| cats | clowder, pounce | |
| cattle | drove, herd | |
| deer | herd, bevy | |
| dogs | pack, mute, kennel | |
| elephants | herd | |
| elk | gang | |
| ferrets | business | |
| fox | leash, skulk, earth | |
| giraffes | tower | |
| goats | tribe, trip | |
| gorillas | band | |
| hippopotamuses | bloat | |
| horses | team, harras, stud, rag, string | |
| hyenas | cackle | |
| kangaroos | troop | |
| leopards | leap | |
| lions | pride | |
| martens | richness | |
| moles | labor | |
| monkeys | troop, barrel | |
| mules | pack, span, barren | |
| otters | romp | |
| oxen | team, yoke | |
| pigs | drift, drove, team | |
| porcupines | prickle | |
| rabbits | colony, warren, nest | |
| rhinoceroses | crash | |
| seals | pod, herd | |
| sheep | drove, flock, herd | |
| squirrels | dray, scurry | |
| tigers | streak | |
| whales | pod, gam, herd | |
| wolves | pack, rout | |
| Birds | birds in general | flight, flock, volary, brace |
| bitterns | sedge | |
| buzzards | wake | |
| bobolinks | chain | |
| chicks (of many species) | brood, clutch | |
| coots | cover | |
| cormorants | gulp | |
| cranes | sedge | |
| crows | murder, horde | |
| dotterel | trip | |
| doves | dule | |
| eagles | convocation | |
| finches | charm | |
| flamingos | stand | |
| geese | flock, gaggle, skein | |
| grouse | pack | |
| gulls | colony | |
| hawks | cast, kettle, boil | |
| herons | sedge, siege | |
| jays | party, scold | |
| lapwings | deceit | |
| larks | exaltation | |
| mallards | sord, brace | |
| magpies | tiding, gulp, murder, charm | |
| nightingales | watch | |
| owls | parliament | |
| parrots | company | |
| partridge | covey | |
| peacocks | muster, ostentation | |
| penguins | colony | |
| pheasant | nest, nide, brood, nye, bouquet | |
| plovers | congregation, wing | |
| ptarmigans | covey | |
| rooks | building | |
| quail | bevy, covey | |
| ravens | unkindness | |
| snipe | walk, wisp | |
| sparrows | host | |
| starlings | murmuration | |
| storks | mustering | |
| swallows | flight | |
| swans | bevy, wedge | |
| teal | spring | |
| turkeys | rafter, gang | |
| widgeons | company | |
| woodcocks | fall | |
| woodpeckers | descent | |
| Reptiles and Amphibians | crocodiles | bask |
| frogs | army | |
| toads | knot | |
| turtles | bale, nest | |
| snakes, vipers | nest | |
| Fish | fish in general | draft, nest, school, shoal |
| bass | shoal | |
| herring | army | |
| sharks | shiver | |
| trout | hover | |
| Invertebrates | ants | colony |
| bees | grist, hive, swarm | |
| caterpillars | army | |
| clams | bed | |
| cockroaches | intrusion | |
| flies | business | |
| gnats | cloud, horde | |
| grasshoppers | cloud | |
| hornets | nest | |
| jellyfish | smack | |
| locusts | plague | |
| oysters | bed |
Gaggles and Murders and Swarms, Oh My!
From mammals to fish, birds to invertebrates, these are some of the most interesting animal names. Which one surprised you the most?
If you have an idea for an unlisted animal group name, like a constellation of star-nosed moles or a flatulence of flounders, why not drop us a line and let us know? There are plenty of animal group names out there, but the most obscure creatures might still need collective nouns!
Next up, check out the Can You Name These Baby Animals quiz or test your Endangered Animals knowledge.
