A collective noun is a name for a collective or a group. In this case, a group of animals. Did you know that many animals have unique, even whimsical collective nouns?
For instance, a group of parrots is called a pandemonium as well as a flock!
Table of Contents
1. A Clowder of Cats
A group of cats is most commonly called a clowder. A group of domesticated cats may also be known as a pounce or a glaring, for their watchful gazes and running, pouncing behavior. Feral cat groups are also known as colonies, however!
2. A Pack of Dogs
A group of dogs is most commonly called a pack. This is because of their tendency to stick closely together. They may also be referred to as a kennel.
Dogs are highly sociable animals, and if they don’t have a group of their own kind, domesticated dogs will consider their humans to be their pack!
3. A Pit of Snakes
A group of snakes is most commonly called a pit. This is due to their tendency to live underground, and a hole big enough to hold many snakes could be considered a pit.
A group of snakes may also be referred to as a nest or den. Any of these will work!
4. A Raft of Ducks
A group of ducks is most commonly referred to as a raft. This is no doubt due to the way that they may float, raft-like, alongside each other.
Other specific names for ducks include a team or a paddling (for their swiftly paddling feet), or you may simply refer to them as a flock!
5. A Ballet of Swans
A group of swans is most commonly referred to as a ballet. This romantic term describes the graceful movements of swans aptly. They do indeed twirl and soar into the water! A bevy of swans is another term, or the classic term for birds, a flock!
6 A Parcel of Deer
A group of deer is most commonly referred to as a parcel. They may also be called a bunch, or a herd. You are most likely to hear the latter, but a parcel is a more specific term for a herd of deer!
7. A Team of Horses
A group of horses is most commonly referred to as a team. This is because, in the wild and domesticated, horses work hard together!
A group of horses may also be known as a harras, or a herd (less specifically). Horses are fantastic at pulling weight, and can even stand against many predators with a powerful kick!
8. An Ostentation of Peacocks
A group of peacocks is most often referred to as an ostentation. This is thanks to the truly ostentatiously colorful and showy display of the male peacock. A group of peacocks may also be known as a muster!
9. A Skulk of Foxes
A group of foxes is most often referred to as a skulk. This is because foxes are so stealthy and clever. They are very private and secretive, and almost seem to skulk.
A group of foxes may also be known as a charm or an earth, due to their cute appearance and their tendency to live underground (in the earth).
10. A Fever of Stingrays
A group of stingrays is known as a fever. This is due to their swift, almost feverish movements in the water. It’s also a suitably creepy name for a rather strange and spooky-looking animal.
11. A Gaggle of Geese
A group of geese is called a gaggle. This refers to just how noisy geese can be when they get together! They will cackle, hiss, bark, and honk.
You can even hear geese flying across the sky, distantly calling each other. When geese are in flight, they are known instead as a skein.
They may also be called a team when they are in flight, or a plump when they are flying close together!
12. An Exaltation of Larks
A group of larks is called an exaltation. This is because their presence is considered a gift by many, as their sweet voices are a real treat to hear. If you catch a series of high, tinkling notes, you may very well be listening to a lark.
13 A Family of Sardines
A group of sardines is called a family. This is because they always stay so closely together. Sardines spend their time eating, breeding, and evading predators in a tightly-knit school (a less specific name that they can also be called).
14. A Barrel of Monkeys
A group of monkeys is called a barrel. The game ‘Monkeys in a Barrel’ was no doubt inspired by this or vice versa. Monkeys hang out in communities, much like people. They may also be called a troop, for the way they follow along behind each other!
15. A Zeal of Zebras
A group of zebras is called a zeal. This is due to their zealous, wild personalities. Zebras are virtually impossible to tame, and they can scare off a lion (or even shatter their skull) with a well-delivered kick.
A group of zebras may also be known as a dazzle, due to the rather dazzling effect of the ever-shifting stripes, or a herd (less specifically).
16. A Gang of Elk
A group of elk is called a gang. This is no doubt due to war-like battling that can be had during mating season, and the fact that elk tend to travel together. You’re much more likely to see a gang of elk than a loner elk!
17. A Mob of Emus
A group of emus is called a mob. Why? Because these fast, rather aggressive birds tend to congregate together in a messy mob. They kick dirt, they hunt and eat, and sometimes they battle.
There is little that is orderly about a group of emus, and you certainly wouldn’t want to come face to face with a wild mob of them (at least, not without a fence between).
18. A Shiver of Sharks
A group of sharks is called a shiver. This is due to their cold-blooded natures, and the sight of a group of sharks is a sight that could easily make you shiver.
These graceful, deadly creatures usually hang out on their own, so they do not have much of a social hierarchy, but they will at times come together to mate or feed in a shiver!
19. A Pod of Whales
A group of whales is called a pod. Whales are social creatures and tend to live together in a family-like pod. Here, they will play, breed, and feed. A pod of graceful, slow-moving whales is a sight that is highly sought-after!
20. A Drove of Pigs
A group of pigs is called a drove. Pigs live in groups, and play, breed, feed, and sunbathe together. They are said to be nearly as intelligent as dogs and can be quite friendly and affectionate with each other.
A group of hogs is called a passel or team, and a group of young pigs is called a litter!
21. A Streak of Tigers
A group of tigers is called a streak. This refers to their stripes, and a bunch all together could certainly look like an orange, white and black streak!
You wouldn’t want to come across a streak of tigers, not in the wild, anyway (tigers are very aggressive, and it would almost certainly be the last thing you’d do).
22. A Pride of Lions
A group of lions is called a pride. The lion is the ‘king of the jungle’ and of the savannah. This enormous predator can take down almost anything, and couldn’t be prouder. The males spend their time looking grand while the females hunt and do most of the work!
23. A Sleuth of Bears
A group of bears is called a sleuth. This is likely because, despite their size, bears are still very observant and stealthy hunters. While bears do not usually hang out in sleuths, an excellent feeding area may encourage them to congregate together!
24. A Bob of Seals
A group of seals is called a bob. It may also be known as a harem, as these groups most often contain one alpha male and his many female mates (a harem of sorts).
Bob is perhaps the cutest term because it refers to the bobbing motion that seals make when they move, both on land and in the water!
25. A Huddle of Walruses
A group of Walruses is called a Huddle.
On land, for their safety, walruses tend to huddle in one spot with each other. This way, the alpha male can scare and predators away, and warn the rest to flee in the face of danger.
A huddle of walruses makes for a rather strange and endearing view, as they lay about like beached whales in the sun together!
26. A Drumming of Woodpeckers
A group of woodpeckers is called a drumming. Can you guess why? In a forest full of woodpeckers, the tapping really does form a discordant, drum-like beat. A drumming of woodpeckers is a delight to hear!
27. A Flamboyance of Flamingos
A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. This is thanks to their extraordinarily flamboyant appearance, standing in groups balanced on one leg and vibrantly pink.
This is a group of animals anyone would want to keep an eye out for! Less specifically, a group of flamingos may also be known as a flock.
28. A Lounge of Lizards
A group of lizards is called a lounge. This is because lizards are most often seen basking in the sun together. Otherwise, aside from mating, they are very solitary creatures (hunting on their own, etc.).
29. A Bevy of Doves
A group of doves is called a bevy of doves. Doves do tend to hang out in the same area, and overall, tolerate each other. You may refer to a bunch of doves feeding as a bevy.
This being said, doves usually prefer to remain in a private, monogamous pair.
Male doves tend to be threatened by other male doves. They will try to keep their mates away from any competition. So, doves only sometimes hang out together!
30. A Pandemonium of Parrots
A group of parrots is called a pandemonium. This is because there really is pandemonium when parrots get together! They are a riot of sound and color.
Most parrots live in flocks of up to 20-30 birds, and it’s not often you’ll find a loner. Parrots spend much of their time looking for fruit and other foodstuffs.
31. A Meditation of Capybaras
A group of capybaras is called a meditation. It’s true, as far as animals go, capybaras are extremely chill. They often respond positively to human contact, and they usually get along wonderfully with each other.
A meditation of capybaras is a cute sight, and they often hang out in the water to swim and relax!
32. A Tower of Giraffes
Funnily enough, a group of giraffes is called a tower. They do tower over most creatures and make quite a sight when they’re grouped together. Giraffes hang out in towers with as few as 10 others, or as many as 50! They spend a great deal of their time stretching their long necks out for leaves (particularly from the acacia tree).
33. An Army of Frogs
A group of frogs is called an army. While mated frogs rarely stay together, their young often will. As tadpoles, they will hang out in a school. Adult siblings may all remain in the relatively same area with each other!
34. A Swarm of Eels
A group of eels is called a swarm. They may also be known as a bed or a fry. Most eels live alone, although they may happen to share a patch of rocks or coral. Garden Eels, on the other hand, live in groups of 100 or more together!
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it, some fun, fanciful, and often fitting names for various groups of animals. Which one is your favorite? We like that a group of sharks is called a shiver!
