Collective Nouns for Animals: 100+ Group Names with Examples


In English, a collective noun is a word used to describe a group of animals as a single unit. Instead of saying “a group of lions,” you can say “a pride of lions.” These special terms make writing more vivid and specific, especially when describing wildlife or nature scenes.

Some of these names are based on observation (a swarm of bees), while others come from tradition or creativity (a murder of crows).

Below is a useful list of collective nouns for animals, organized by letter groups. Whether you’re a student, writer, or just curious about animal vocabulary, this list is a fun way to expand your knowledge of English.

Collective Nouns for Animals (A–C)

  1. Alligators: Congregation
  2. Antelope: Herd or Cluster
  3. Ants: Colony or Army
  4. Apes: Shrewdness
  5. Armadillos: Roll (rare)
  6. Badgers: Cete
  7. Bats: Cauldron
  8. Bears: Sloth or Sleuth
  9. Bees: Swarm or Hive
  10. Birds: Flock or Flight
  11. Buffalo: Gang or Obstinacy
  12. Butterflies: Kaleidoscope
  13. Camels: Caravan
  14. Cats (domestic): Clowder or Glaring
  15. Cattle: Herd or Drove
  16. Cheetahs: Coalition
  17. Chickens: Brood or Peep
  18. Crows: Murder
  19. Cranes: Siege
  20. Caterpillars: Army

Collective Nouns for Animals (D–F)

  1. Dogs: Pack or Kennel
  2. Dolphins: Pod or School
  3. Donkeys: Drove or Pace
  4. Doves: Cote or Dule
  5. Ducks: Raft (on water), Flock (in flight), or Team
  6. Eagles: Convocation
  7. Elephants: Parade or Herd
  8. Elk: Gang or Herd
  9. Emus: Mob
  10. Ferrets: Business
  11. Finches: Charm
  12. Fish: School or Shoal
  13. Flamingos: Stand or Flamboyance
  14. Flies: Swarm
  15. Foxes: Skulk or Leash
  16. Frogs: Army

Collective Nouns for Animals (G–L)

  1. Geese: Gaggle (on land or water) or Skein (in flight)
  2. Giraffes: Tower
  3. Goats: Trip or Tribe
  4. Goldfish: Glint or Troubling
  5. Gorillas: Band or Troop
  6. Grasshoppers: Cloud
  7. Hares: Down or Husk
  8. Hawks: Cast or Kettle
  9. Hedgehogs: Array or Prickle
  10. Hens: Brood
  11. Herons: Siege
  12. Hippopotamuses: Bloat or Thunder
  13. Horses: Team, Herd, or String
  14. Hounds: Pack
  15. Jellyfish: Smack or Bloom
  16. Kangaroos: Mob or Troop
  17. Kittens: Kindle or Litter
  18. Larks: Exaltation
  19. Leopards: Leap
  20. Lions: Pride or Troop
  21. Lizards: Lounge
  22. Llamas: Herd

Collective Nouns for Animals (M–R)

  1. Magpies: Tidings or Gulp
  2. Moles: Labour
  3. Monkeys: Troop or Barrel
  4. Moose: Herd
  5. Mosquitoes: Swarm
  6. Mules: Barren or Pack
  7. Otters: Raft (in water) or Romp (on land)
  8. Owls: Parliament
  9. Oxen: Team or Yoke
  10. Oysters: Bed
  11. Parrots: Pandemonium
  12. Peacocks: Muster or Ostentation
  13. Pelicans: Pod or Squadron
  14. Penguins: Colony, Huddle, or Waddle
  15. Pigs: Drift, Drove, or Sounder
  16. Pigeons: Kit or Loft
  17. Porcupines: Prickle
  18. Quail: Covey or Bevy
  19. Rabbits: Warren or Colony
  20. Raccoons: Gaze
  21. Ravens: Unkindness or Conspiracy
  22. Rhinoceroses: Crash
  23. Robins: Round

Collective Nouns for Animals (S–Z)

  1. Salamanders: Congress
  2. Seals: Pod or Colony
  3. Sharks: Shiver
  4. Sheep: Flock or Drove
  5. Snails: Escargatoire, Walk, or Rout (rare)
  6. Snakes: Nest, Bed, or Pit
  7. Sparrows: Host
  8. Squirrels: Dray or Scurry
  9. Starlings: Murmuration
  10. Stingrays: Fever
  11. Swans: Bevy (on land) or Wedge (in flight)
  12. Termites: Swarm
  13. Tigers: Streak or Ambush
  14. Toads: Knot
  15. Trout: Hover
  16. Turkeys: Rafter
  17. Turtles: Bale or Nest
  18. Vultures: Wake (on ground) or Kettle (in flight)
  19. Walruses: Herd or Pod
  20. Wasps: Swarm
  21. Weasels: Gang or Confusion
  22. Whales: Pod or School
  23. Wolves: Pack or Route
  24. Woodpeckers: Descent
  25. Zebras: Dazzle or Zeal

Most Interesting Collective Nouns for Animals

Some animal group names are surprisingly creative and poetic. Here are a few standout examples that often surprise English learners:

  • A murder of crows – dark and dramatic, often used in literature.
  • A parliament of owls – suggesting wisdom and formality.
  • A prickle of porcupines – a playful nod to their sharp quills.
  • A shiver of sharks – evokes fear and cold-blooded precision.
  • An unkindness of ravens – mysterious and haunting.
  • A flamboyance of flamingos – perfect for their vivid color and flair.
  • A dazzle of zebras – reflects their striking striped appearance.
  • A confusion of weasels – light-hearted and descriptive.
  • A knot of toads – unexpected but firmly established.
  • A bloat of hippos – humorous and fitting for their size.

Example Sentences Using Collective Nouns for Animals

  • A pride of lions rested under the shade of an acacia tree.
  • We spotted a murder of crows circling above the field.
  • A parliament of owls perched silently on the fence.
  • The children watched a kaleidoscope of butterflies flutter through the garden.
  • A flamboyance of flamingos waded gracefully in the shallow lagoon.
  • The hikers encountered a bloat of hippos lounging in the river.
  • A shiver of sharks passed beneath the boat, barely visible in the water.
  • A raft of ducks floated lazily across the pond.
  • The farmer led a herd of cattle back to the barn.
  • A pack of wolves howled in the distance as night fell.
  • A tower of giraffes grazed quietly near the horizon.
  • We heard the buzzing of a swarm of bees near the orchard.
  • A business of ferrets darted in and out of the burrows.
  • The tourists were thrilled to see a crash of rhinoceroses at the watering hole.
  • A confusion of weasels scattered through the underbrush when startled.

FAQs About Collective Nouns for Animals

Why do animals have specific group names?

Many animal group names originated from medieval English and were based on observation, creativity, or poetic description. While some are traditional (a herd of cattle), others are imaginative (a murder of crows).

Are collective nouns for animals still used today?

Yes. While some rare terms are mostly used in writing or trivia, many (like flock, herd, and pack) are common in both spoken and written English.

Can an animal have more than one collective noun?

Absolutely. Some animals have multiple accepted group names depending on context.
For example:
Ducks: raft (on water), team (in flight)
Owls: parliament or stare
Cattle: herd or drove

Are these terms formal or informal?

It depends. Common terms like herd or flock are used in formal writing. More creative ones (a dazzle of zebras, a prickle of porcupines) are often informal or literary.


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