Monday, June 9, 2014

Bird Group Names

I've found there are many names to call something by, but perhaps some of the most fun are the words for groups of animals.

Birds:
Birds in general - A flight (in the air), flock (on the ground), volary (volery), brace (generally for gamebirds or waterfowl, referring to a pair or couple killed by a hunter), a congregation, pod, A zeal
Bitterns A sedge
Bobolinks A chain
Bullfinches A bellowing 
Bullocks A drove
Buzzards A wake
Chicken A brood or clutch or peep of chickens 
Chicks (of species) A brood; clutch, chattering of chicks
Choughs A chattering or clattering of 
Coots A cover, a covert
Cormorants A gulp
Crane A sedge, a herd or siege of cranes
Crows A murder, horde
Curlew A Herd
Dotterel A trip 
Doves A dule, a dole, a piteousness or pitying (specific to turtle doves)
Ducks A brace, flock (in flight), raft, bunch, team, or paddling (on water), a safe (on land) badling
Dunlins A fling 
Eagles A convocation
Emus A mob of emus
Finches A charm or chirm of finches
Flamingos A stand, pat, flamboyance
Geese A flock, gaggle (on the ground), skein or team or wedge (in flight) 
Goldfinch A charm of goldfinches
Grouse A pack (in late season) or covey of grouse
Gulls A colony
Hawks A cast, kettle (flying in large numbers), boil (two or more spiraling in flight)
Hen A brood of hens
Heron A hedge or scattering of herons, A sedge, a siege
Jays A party, scold
Lapwings A deceit, a desert 
Lark An ascension or exaltation of larks
Magpies A tiding, tittering gulp, murder, charm
Mallards A sord (in flight), brace or suit of mallard
Marten A richness, or richesse of martens
Nightingales A watch
Owls A parliament
Parrots A company, a pandemonium 
Partridge A covey
Peacock A muster or ostentation of peacocks
Peep A litter of peeps
Penguin A colony of penguins, muster or parcel or rookery
Pheasant A nest, nide (nye) head or bouquet of pheasants
Pigeon A flock or flight of pigeons, a kit of flying pigeons
Plovers A congregation, stand of plovers, wing (in flight) 
Pochards A rush or flight 
Ptarmigans A covey
Quail A bevy, covey, drift
Raven An unkindness of ravens
Rook A building, parliment or clamour of rooks
Ruffs A hill
Sheldrake A dopping 
Snipe A walk, a wisp
Sparrows A host
Starlings A murmuration
Storks A mustering
Swallows A flight
Swan A bevy, herd, lamentation, game; a wedge (in flight) of swans
Swift A flock of swifts
Teal A spring
Turkeys A rafter, gang
Turtle dove A pitying or dule of turtle doves
Widgeons A company, a trip
Wild ducks A team (in flight)
Wild fowl A bunch, trip, plump, knob (less than 30)
Woodcocks A fall
Woodpeckers A descent
Wrens A herd

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