Groups of animal names

Animal group names

The collective nouns for groups of some animals are well known – a pride of lions or a herd of buffalo for example. Here I’ve started with my personal favourite top 5 and then below that I’ve listed in alphabetical order the definitive list of animal group names.

I’m pleased to announce a new range of limited edition great ape prints including orangutans, mountain gorillas and chimpanzees as part of a fundraising project in partnership with The Orangutan Foundation UK, Jane Goodall Institute and Gorilla Doctors. To date we’ve donated £9000 from this project to these three NGO’s and we can send prints to anywhere on our lovely planet. Full info is here.

Animal group names – personal favourites

  1. A shrewdness of apes or band of gorillas-  I took this photo in Uganda on one of my mountain gorilla tours.

A shrewdness of apes

2) A skulk of bat eared foxes – taken in Ndutu, Tanzania

animal group names

3) A squadron of manta rays – below is  a short video of hundred’s of these incredible animals I filmed at a mass gathering in Hanifaru bay.

4) A buffoonery of orangutans
People often ask me what the collective noun for a group of orangutans is. Some say the answer is a buffoonery of orangutans but the correct reply really is that there is no name. In the wild, orangutans are one of the most solitary species of animals. Apart from mother’s with offspring and for brief mating periods they will virtually avoid all contact with each other. The exception is in Tanjung Puting where I run my Borneo orangutan holidays as here there are just so many orangutans that you will almost certainly see a buffoonery !

Tanjung Puting orangutan

5) A dazzle of zebras- Serengeti

dazzle of zebrasBelow is the alphabetical list of animal group names

A      
Antelopes herd    
ants army    
colony    
nest    
swarm    
apes shrewdness    
troop    
baboons troop    
badgers cete    
barracuda battery    
bats colony    
bears sleuth or sloth    
beavers colony    
family    
bees swarm    
drift    
erst    
grist    
birds flock    
flight    
pod    
bitterns sedge or sege    
boars sounder    
buffalo herd    
bullfinches bellowing    
bullocks drove    
butterflies swarm    
flutter    
kaleidoscope    
C      
capercaillie tok    
capons mews    
caribou herd    
cats clowder    
pounce    
destruction    
cattle mob    
chickens clutch    
cheetahs coalition    
choughs chattering    
colts rag    
rake    
cormorants gulp    
coots covert    
coyotes pack    
cranes herd    
sedge    
crocodiles bask    
crows murder or horde    
curlews herd    
D      
deer herd    
parcel    
dogs pack    
dolphins pod    
dotterel trip    
doves dole or dule    
flight    
ducks badling    
paddling    
plump    
raft    
dunlins fling    
E      
eagles convocation    
eels bed    
elephants herd    
elk gang    
herd    
F      
falcons cast    
ferrets business    
busyness    
besyness
fesynes
fesnyng
feamyng
   
finches charm    
fish school    
shoal    
flamingoes stand    
flamboyance    
colony    
regiment    
flies business    
foxes leash    
skulk    
frogs army    
G      
geese flock    
gaggle    
skein    
giraffes herd    
tower    
gnats cloud    
horde    
goats flock    
trip    
goldfinches charm    
gorillas band    
goshawks flight    
grasshoppers cloud    
grouse covey    
guineafowl rasp    
H      
hawks boil    
cast    
kettle    
lease    
hens brood    
herons sedge    
siege    
hippopotamuses bloat    
hogs parcel    
hornets nest    
horses team    
harrase    
herd    
string    
stud    
hounds pack    
hyenas cackle    
I      
ibex herd    
insects swarm    
J      
jackdaws clattering    
train    
jays party    
scold    
jellyfish fluther    
smack    
K      
kangaroos mob    
troop    
kittens kindle    
litter    
L      
lapwings deceit or desert    
larks bevy    
exaltation    
leopards leap    
lions pride    
sawt    
locusts plague    
M      
mackerel shoal    
magpies charm    
gulp    
murder    
tiding    
manta rays squadron    
mallards sord    
suit    
mares stud    
martens richness    
mice nest    
minnows shoal    
moles labour    
monkeys barrel    
troop    
wilderness    
moose herd    
mules barren    
span    
N      
nightingales watch    
O      
orangutans buffoonery    
owls parliament    
oxen drove    
team    
yoke    
oysters bed    
P      
parrots company    
pandemonium    
partridges covey    
peacocks muster    
ostentation    
pride    
pelicans pod    
penguins colony    
convent    
tuxedo    
pheasants bouquet    
head    
nest    
nide    
nye    
pigs drift    
drove    
pigeons kit    
plovers congregation    
stand    
wing    
Q      
quail bevy    
covey    
drift    
R      
rabbits colony    
nest    
herd    
litter    
raccoons gaze    
rats mischief    
ravens unkindness    
rhinoceroses crash    
rooks building    
parliament    
S      
seals pod    
sea urchins herd    
sheep flock    
drove    
herd    
hurtle    
pack    
sheldrake dopping    
snakes bed    
den    
knot    
nest    
pit    
snipes walk    
wisp    
sparrows host    
spiders cluster or clutter    
squirrels dray    
scurry    
starlings chattering    
murmuration    
storks mustering    
swallows flight    
swans bank    
bevy    
flight    
game    
herd    
wedge    
swifts flock    
scream    
swine drift    
T      
teal spring    
tigers ambush    
streak    
toads knot    
nest    
trout hover    
turkeys gang    
rafter    
turtles bale    
dole or dule    
nest    
turtle doves dole or dule    
pitying    
V      
vipers nest    
vultures kettle    
committee    
wake    
W      
walruses herd    
pod    
waterfowl bunch    
knob    
raft    
weasels colony    
pack    
whales gam    
herd    
mob    
pod    
wigeons company    
trip    
wildfowl bunch    
knob    
plump    
trip    
wolves pack    
rout or route    
wombats wisdom    
woodcocks fall    
woodpeckers descent    
wrens herd    
Z      
zebras herd    
dazzle    
zeal