This is so cool

[lapsedmodernist]

What do You Call a Group of Birds?


Bitterns
A siege of bitterns, a sedge of bitterns

Chickens
A peep of chickens

Choughs
A chattering of choughs

Coots
A cover of coots, a raft of coots

Cormorants
A flight of cormorants

Cranes
A sedge of cranes

Crows
A congress of crows, a murder of crows

Curlews
A herd of curlews

Doves
A dule of doves, a flight of doves, a dole of doves, a cote of coves, a piteousness of doves

Ducks
A paddling of ducks, a raft of ducks, a team of ducks, a dopping of ducks

Dunlin
A fling of dunlin

Eagles
A convocation of eagles

Eggs
A clutch of eggs

Falcons
A cast of falcons

Finches
A charm of finches, a trembling of finches

Flamingos
A flamboyance of flamingos

Geese
A gaggle of geese, a skein of geese

Goldfinches
A charm of goldfinches

Goshawks
A flight of goshawks

Grouse
A brace of grouse, a covey of grouse

Guillemots
A bazaar of guillemots

Gulls
A colony of gulls

Hawks
A cast of hawks, a kettle of hawks, a cast of hawks

Hens (chickens)
A brood of hens

Herons
A siege of herons

Hummingbirds
A charm of hummingbirds, a troubling of hummingbirds, a hover of hummingbirds

Jays
A band of jays, party of jays

Kingfishers
A concentration of kingfishers

Lapwings
A deceit of lapwings

Larks
An exaltation of larks

Loons
A raft of loons

Magpies
A tiding of magpies

Mallards
A sord of mallards, a flush of mallards, a puddling of mallards

Nightingales
A watch of nightingales

Owls
A parliament of owls, a wisdom of owls

Parrots
A company of parrots

Partridges
A covey of partridges

Peacocks
An ostentation of peacocks, a muster of peacocks

Penguins
A colony of penguins, huddles of penguins, a pride of penguins

Pheasants
A bouquet of pheasants, a covey of pheasants, a nye of pheasants, a nide of pheasants, a nest of pheasants

Quail
A bevy of quail, a covey of quail

Pelicans
A squadron of pelicans

Plovers
A congregation of plovers, a wing of plovers, a leash of plovers

Ravens
A conspiracy of ravens, an unkindness of ravens, a constable of ravens

Rooks
A building of rooks, a parliament of rooks

Snipe
A walk of snipe, a wisp of snipe

Sparrows
A host of sparrows, a quarrel of sparrows

Starlings
A murmuration of starlings

Storks
A mustering of storks

Swallows
A flight of swallows

Swans
A ballet of swans, a bevy of swans, a herd of swans, a whiteness of swans

Teal
A spring of teal

Turtledoves
A pitying of turtledoves

Turkeys
A rafter of turkeys, a muster of turkeys

Waterfowl
A plump of waterfowl

Woodcock
A fall of Woodcock

Woodpeckers
A descent of woodpeckers

Comments

[stillwell.livejournal.com]

Parliament of owls! How evocative *

This book....

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

is the classic catalogue.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

I've always thought these were fun. I have a bad habit of collecting this kind of odd information. It all goes in the rummage closet.

[contrasoma.livejournal.com]

I love all of these. I remember hearing "a parliament of owls" as a kid.

What can the etymological roots of these be?

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

I don't know...ask trochee over there, he's the linguist.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

did someone say my name? I went ahead and put some discussion here.

[la-chispa.livejournal.com]

American Heritage's synonym note for flock:

Synonyms: herd, drove(2), pack(1), gang(1), brood

These nouns denote a number of animals, birds, or fish considered collectively, and some have human connotations. Flock is applied to a congregation of animals of one kind, especially sheep or goats herded by people, and to any congregation of wild or domesticated birds, especially when on the ground. It is also applicable to people who form the membership of a church or to people under someone's care or supervision. Herd is used of a number of animals, especially cattle, herded by people; or of wild animals such as antelope, elephants, and zebras; or of whales and seals. Applied to people, it is used disparagingly of a crowd or of the masses and suggests the gregarious aspect of crowd psychology. Drove is used of a herd or flock, as of cattle or geese, that is being moved or driven from one place to another; less often it refers to a crowd of people in movement. Pack is applicable to any body of animals, especially wolves, or of birds, especially grouse, and to a body of hounds trained to hunt as a unit. It also refers disparagingly to a band or group of persons. Gang refers to a herd, especially of buffalo or elk; to a pack of wolves or wild dogs; or to various associations of persons, especially when engaged in violent or criminal pursuits. Brood is applicable to offspring that are still under the care of a mother, especially the offspring of domestic or game birds or, less formally, of people. The following related terms are used as indicated: bevy, a company of roe deer, larks, or quail; cast, the number of hawks or falcons cast off at one time, usually a pair; cete, a company of badgers; covert, a flock of coots; covey, a family of grouse, partridges, or other game birds; drift, a drove or herd, especially of hogs; exaltation, a flight of larks; fall, a family of woodcock in flight; flight, a flock of birds in flight; gaggle, a flock of geese; gam, a school of whales, or a social congregation of whalers, especially at sea; kennel, a number of hounds or dogs housed in one place or under the same ownership; kindle, a brood or litter, especially of kittens; litter, the total number of offspring produced at a single birth by a multiparous mammal; murder, a flock of crows; muster, a flock of peacocks; nide, a brood of pheasants; pod, a small herd of seals or whales; pride, a company of lions; rout, a company of people or animals in movement, especially knights or wolves; school, a congregation of fish, or aquatic mammals such as dolphins or porpoises; shrewdness, a company of apes; skein, a flight of wildfowl, especially geese; skulk, a congregation of vermin, especially foxes, or of thieves; sloth, a company of bears; sord, a flight of mallards; sounder, a herd of wild boar; stable, a number of horses housed in one place or under the same ownership; swarm, a colony of insects, such as ants, bees, or wasps, especially when migrating to a new nest or hive; troop, a number of animals, birds, or people, especially when on the move; warren, the inhabitants, such as rabbits, of a warren; watch, a flock of nightingales; and wisp, a flock of birds, especially of snipe. See Also Synonyms at crowd(1).