Animal Group Names
A pride of lions, a murder of crows, a parliament of owls: English has a wonderfully odd word for almost every gathering of animals. Many of these collective nouns date back to 15th-century hunting manuals such as The Book of St Albans, printed in the late fifteenth century, where knowing the “proper terms” marked you as a gentleman. Some are still used by biologists every day; others survive mainly as trivia.
Below are more than 100 animal group names sorted by type, with notes on which terms are everyday usage and which are the poetic, old-fashioned kind. If you’re here to name a pet rather than a crowd, try our pet names, bird names or wolf names instead.
Group names for wild mammals
Big African animals have some of the most famous terms. Scientists usually just say “herd” or “group”, but the colorful versions are real and widely cited.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Pride | A pride is typically related females, cubs and a few males |
| Tigers | Streak, ambush | Tigers are solitary, so these are mostly literary |
| Leopards | Leap | Another largely poetic term for a solitary cat |
| Cheetahs | Coalition | Used by biologists for bonded groups of males |
| Jaguars | Shadow | A modern, evocative coinage |
| Elephants | Herd, parade | Herds are led by the oldest female, the matriarch |
| Giraffes | Tower (standing), journey (moving) | Tower is the most popular term |
| Zebras | Dazzle, zeal | Dazzle refers to the confusing effect of their stripes |
| Hippopotamuses | Bloat, pod | Pod is used for hippos in water |
| Rhinoceroses | Crash | One of the best-known collective nouns |
| Gorillas | Troop, band | Led by a silverback male |
| Chimpanzees | Community, troop | Researchers use “community” |
| Baboons | Troop, congress | Troops can number over 100 |
| Monkeys | Troop, barrel | Barrel comes from “more fun than a barrel of monkeys” |
| Lemurs | Conspiracy | Ring-tailed lemurs live in troops of up to 30 |
| Apes | Shrewdness | Recorded in medieval hunting lists |
| Wolves | Pack | A pack is usually a breeding pair and their offspring |
| Foxes | Skulk, leash | Leash comes from old hunting terms |
| Hyenas | Clan, cackle | Clan is the scientific term |
| Bears | Sloth, sleuth | Both date to the 15th century |
| Kangaroos | Mob, troop | Mob is standard Australian usage |
| Koalas | Colony | Koalas are mostly solitary |
| Buffalo | Herd, obstinacy | Obstinacy is the fun one |
| Camels | Caravan, flock | A caravan is a group traveling together |
| Moose | Herd | Moose rarely gather except in winter |
| Elk | Gang, herd | Gang is common in North American usage |
Group names for small mammals
Small animals get some of the funniest terms. If you keep any of these as pets, our ferret names and hedgehog names lists are full of ideas.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrets | Business | Possibly from the older “busyness” |
| Hedgehogs | Array, prickle | Hedgehogs are solitary outside mating |
| Mice | Mischief | Also used for rats |
| Rats | Pack, mischief | Rats are highly social |
| Squirrels | Scurry, dray | A dray is also the name of a squirrel nest |
| Rabbits | Colony, warren, fluffle | Fluffle is an informal modern favorite |
| Hares | Drove, husk | From medieval hunting terms |
| Weasels | Confusion | Fitting for such quick movers |
| Badgers | Cete | A very old term, possibly from Latin coetus, “assembly” |
| Otters | Romp (on land), raft (in water) | Sea otters float together in rafts |
| Porcupines | Prickle | Obvious once you’ve seen the quills |
| Raccoons | Gaze | Also called a nursery for mother and young |
| Skunks | Surfeit | Surfeit means “too much” |
| Moles | Labor | For their constant digging |
| Beavers | Colony, family | A family shares one lodge |
| Meerkats | Mob, gang | Mobs can have up to 50 members |
| Bats | Colony, cloud | Cloud is used for bats in flight |
Farm and domestic animal group names
Everyday animals often have more than one term depending on age or activity. For naming individual animals, see cow names, goat names and chicken names.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cats | Clowder, glaring | Clowder comes from “clutter” |
| Kittens | Kindle, litter | Kindle is an old word for giving birth |
| Dogs | Pack | Hunting dogs are also a “cry” or “mute” |
| Puppies | Litter | The standard term for a mother’s pups |
| Horses | Herd, team, string | A string is horses belonging to one owner |
| Ponies | String | Common in racing and trekking stables |
| Donkeys | Drove, pace | Pace comes from the donkey’s steady walk |
| Mules | Pack, span | A span is a harnessed pair |
| Cattle | Herd, drove | A drove is cattle being driven |
| Pigs | Drift, drove, sounder | Sounder is used for wild boar |
| Sheep | Flock, mob | Mob is common in Australia and New Zealand |
| Goats | Trip, tribe | Trip is a delightful old term |
| Chickens | Brood, peep | A brood is a hen and her chicks |
| Turkeys | Rafter, gang | Rafter may refer to barn roof beams |
| Deer | Herd | Old hunting texts call a group of roe deer a “bevy” |
Collective nouns for birds
Birds have the richest vocabulary of all, largely thanks to medieval falconry and fowling. Browse our owl names and parrot names if you’re naming a single bird.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Crows | Murder | Rooted in folklore linking crows to death |
| Ravens | Unkindness, conspiracy | Both reflect ravens’ ominous reputation |
| Owls | Parliament | Popularized partly by C. S. Lewis’s Narnia books |
| Flamingos | Flamboyance | Also called a stand |
| Starlings | Murmuration | The swirling clouds seen at dusk |
| Geese | Gaggle (on the ground), skein (in flight) | A V-formation is also a wedge |
| Ducks | Raft (on water), paddling, team (in flight) | Raft is the most common |
| Swans | Bevy, wedge (in flight) | Wedge describes their V-shaped flight |
| Eagles | Convocation | Also “aerie” for a nest |
| Hawks | Kettle (circling), cast | Kettle describes migrating hawks spiraling upward |
| Vultures | Committee (perched), wake (feeding), venue | Wake is used when feeding on a carcass |
| Peacocks | Ostentation, muster | Peafowl are famous show-offs |
| Penguins | Colony, waddle (on land), raft (in water) | Large breeding colonies are also “rookeries” |
| Parrots | Pandemonium, company | Pandemonium describes the noise perfectly |
| Hummingbirds | Charm | Also used for finches |
| Finches | Charm | Goldfinches especially |
| Larks | Exaltation | For the lark’s soaring song |
| Nightingales | Watch | Recorded in the Book of St Albans |
| Pigeons | Kit, loft | A kit is a group flying together |
| Turtle doves | Pitying, dule | Dule comes from French deuil, “mourning” |
| Quail | Bevy, covey | Covey is used by hunters |
| Partridges | Covey | Standard among bird hunters |
| Pheasants | Nye, nide, bouquet | Bouquet is used when flushed |
| Jays | Party, scold | For their loud calls |
| Magpies | Tiding, gulp | “One for sorrow, two for joy” rhyme |
| Herons | Siege | From medieval falconry |
| Storks | Muster | Also used for peacocks |
| Cranes | Sedge, siege | Sedge is a marsh plant |
| Woodpeckers | Descent | Another Book of St Albans term |
| Sparrows | Host | Also a “quarrel” |
| Rooks | Building, parliament | For their big treetop rookeries |
| Lapwings | Deceit | For their fake broken-wing display |
| Snipe | Wisp | From hunting vocabulary |
| Pelicans | Pod, squadron | Squadron for flying formations |
| Cormorants | Gulp | For their big swallows of fish |
| Emus | Mob | Australian usage, like kangaroos |
| Swallows | Flight | Also a “gulp” |
Group names for fish and sea creatures
Ocean animals mostly travel in schools and pods, but a few have memorable extras. For naming aquarium pets, see fish names and goldfish names.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fish | School, shoal | A school swims in sync; a shoal is a loose group |
| Sharks | Shiver | A modern, now widely used term |
| Whales | Pod, gam | Gam was used by whalers for a social gathering |
| Dolphins | Pod | Pods can join into “superpods” of 1,000+ |
| Jellyfish | Smack, bloom | Bloom is the scientific term for a sudden mass |
| Seals | Bob, harem, rookery | Rookery refers to a breeding colony |
| Walruses | Herd, pod | Herds can number in the thousands |
| Stingrays | Fever | Also a “school” |
| Crabs | Cast, consortium | Consortium is a newer coinage |
| Oysters | Bed | Also a “reef” |
| Eels | Swarm, bed | Bed is used for eels resting together |
| Sea turtles | Bale | A bale is also used for land turtles |
| Herring | Army | Herring shoals can be enormous |
| Salmon | Run | The annual swim upstream |
| Goldfish | Troubling | A whimsical term found in many lists |
| Trout | Hover | From anglers’ vocabulary |
Reptiles, amphibians and insects
Scales and legs aplenty. Pet keepers can also check snake names, frog names and lizard names.
| Animal | Group name(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Crocodiles | Bask, float | Bask on land, float in water |
| Alligators | Congregation | Also used in general for gators in a pond |
| Snakes | Nest, den | Dens are winter gathering spots |
| Rattlesnakes | Rhumba | A popular, if rarely used, term |
| Cobras | Quiver | Evokes the swaying hood |
| Frogs | Army | Also a “knot” or “colony” |
| Toads | Knot | From toads tangling during breeding |
| Lizards | Lounge | For basking in the sun |
| Ants | Colony, army | Army ants march in columns |
| Bees | Hive, swarm, grist | A swarm is bees on the move |
| Butterflies | Kaleidoscope, flutter, rabble | Kaleidoscope is the modern favorite |
| Caterpillars | Army | For their marching processions |
| Locusts | Plague, swarm | Swarms can hold billions |
| Grasshoppers | Cloud | Also a “swarm” |
| Flies | Business, swarm | Business is shared with ferrets |
| Mosquitoes | Scourge | A fitting description |
| Hornets | Nest | Also used for wasps |
| Ladybugs | Loveliness | A charming modern coinage |
| Gnats | Cloud, horde | For the hovering swarms |
| Cockroaches | Intrusion | Every homeowner agrees |
| Spiders | Cluster, clutter | Most spiders are solitary |
How to use animal group names
- Know which terms are real-world. Herd, pack, flock, school, pod and colony are what biologists actually say. Parliament, murder and crash are correct but mostly playful.
- Match the term to the moment. Several animals change terms with activity: geese are a gaggle on the ground and a skein in the air.
- Use them for names and themes. Collective nouns make great team names, trivia team names and group chat names (“The Mischief of Mice” or “A Murder of Crows”).
- Singular or plural verb? In American English, treat the group as one unit: “A pride of lions is resting.” British writers often use the plural.
- Don’t over-trust viral lists. Some terms online were invented recently; the ones here are either in historical sources or in wide modern use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a group of crows called?
A group of crows is called a murder. The term goes back to the 15th century and reflects old folklore connecting crows with death and bad omens.
What is a group of owls called?
A group of owls is called a parliament, a nod to the owl as a symbol of wisdom. Owls are mostly solitary, so you’ll rarely see one.
What is a group of flamingos called?
A group of flamingos is a flamboyance, a perfect match for their bright pink feathers and showy group displays. A “stand” is also used.
Where do collective nouns for animals come from?
Many come from 15th-century English books on hunting and manners, especially The Book of St Albans (1486), which listed “terms of venery” that educated people were expected to know.
What is a group of giraffes called?
Giraffes standing together are called a tower; when they are moving, the group is called a journey.
What is a group of rabbits called?
A group of rabbits is a colony or warren. “Fluffle” is a popular informal term, especially for domestic bunnies.