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Animal Collectives: A Complete List of Collective Nouns for Animals

A list of all the names of animal collective nouns, for your convenience and ease of perusal (also, they're hilarious.)

Animal group names

Did you know that animals have collective noun terms? This post is ALL about them: we cover the names for animal collectives, broken down by species and animal type. It’s safe to say that this list is pretty wild, pun intended.

Regale in the absurdity of these animal collective group names, such as an implausibility of gnus, or a mischief of mice. We hope you find these names entertaining, at the very least.

What are singular and plural nouns?

When we speak or write, we communicate in count or number even if we don’t consciously realize it. Language is structured to reflect the count of subjects (or sentence objects) by distinguishing between when there is one of something, or more than one: i.e., singular and plural noun forms. Grammar rule: singular nouns refers to one subject or object. Plural nouns refers to more than one person, place, thing or idea.

What’s a collective noun?

We’re not talking about the band, Animal Collective, though they do make good music. In English, nouns (which are names given to people, places, things and ideas) come in two kinds, singular or plural, as mentioned in the above section. When it comes to animals, things can get a bit tricky, since animals are creatures that roam either on their own, like a lone wolf; other times, they live in groups, such as any of the herd species.

Because of the variety of ways in which animals live with respect to quantity or count, English has evolved to reflect their ways of social or asocial living. The following are a comprehensive live list of animal collective nouns, for your reference and ease of perusal.

A list of all the animal collective group names

animal (mammals)collective name
CheetahsA coalition
ApesA shrewdness or troop
DolphinsA pod, herd or school
ElephantsA parade or herd
Bears A slot/sleuth
DonkeysA herd or pace
ElkA gang or herd
Giraffes Tower or herd
HorsesA harras, span or string
MiceA mischief or nest
LionsA pride
MonkeysA troop
animal (birds)collective name
BitternsA sedge
BobolinksA chain
BuzzardsWake
CootsA cover
CormorantsA gulp
DotterelTrip
GrouseA pack
HawksCast or kettle
HeronsSedge or siege
JaysParty or scold
LapwingsA deceit
LarksAn exaltation!
MallardsA sord
MagpiesTiding or gulp
NightingalesA watch
PartridgeA covey
PeafowlAn ostentation
PenguinsColony, muster, parcel or rookery
ParrotsA pandemonium
GeeseA gaggle (on ground), a skein (in flight), a wedge (in-flight, in v-formation)
FlamingosA flamboyance
CrowsA murder
RavensAn unkindness
EaglesA convocation, aerie
EmusMob
DovesA dole
DucksA paddling or raft (on water)
BeesA grist, hive or swarm
CaterpillarsAn army
ClamsA bed
CrabsA consortium
CockroachesAn intrusion
FliesA business
JellyfishA bloom, fluther or smack
SquidAn audience

Sources

  1. Animal Collective

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