Collective nouns: 125 animal group names
A favourite of 11+ English papers and school interviews — and genuinely fun to learn.
Collective nouns ("a murder of crows", "a parliament of owls") are a favourite topic in 11+ English papers and independent school interviews. Here are 125 of them, organised by theme.
Farm Animals10
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| sheep | flock |
| cows | herd |
| horses | team |
| pigs | drove |
| goats | tribe |
| chickens | brood |
| turkeys | rafter |
| donkeys | drove |
| llamas | herd |
| oxen | team |
Wild Animals44
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| lions | pride |
| wolves | pack |
| frogs | army |
| kangaroos | mob |
| elephants | herd |
| foxes | skulk |
| bears | sleuth |
| crocodiles | bask |
| otters | romp |
| monkeys | troop |
| hippos | bloat |
| hedgehogs | array |
| squirrels | scurry |
| giraffes | tower |
| zebras | dazzle |
| rhinos | crash |
| tigers | streak |
| leopards | leap |
| cheetahs | coalition |
| gorillas | troop |
| snakes | pit |
| alligators | congregation |
| toads | knot |
| lemurs | conspiracy |
| deer | herd |
| camels | caravan |
| bats | colony |
| pandas | embarrassment |
| koalas | colony |
| sloths | bed |
| raccoons | gaze |
| badgers | cete |
| beavers | colony |
| skunks | surfeit |
| boars | sounder |
| buffalo | herd |
| bison | herd |
| moose | herd |
| lizards | lounge |
| chimpanzees | troop |
| newts | knot |
| salamanders | congress |
| tortoises | creep |
| iguanas | mess |
Birds28
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| crows | murder |
| flamingos | flamboyance |
| owls | parliament |
| geese | gaggle |
| starlings | murmuration |
| penguins | waddle |
| parrots | pandemonium |
| ravens | unkindness |
| peacocks | muster |
| swans | bevy |
| ducks | paddling |
| eagles | convocation |
| hawks | kettle |
| vultures | wake |
| magpies | tiding |
| doves | dule |
| hummingbirds | charm |
| sparrows | host |
| finches | charm |
| larks | exaltation |
| herons | siege |
| cranes | sedge |
| storks | muster |
| pheasants | bouquet |
| pigeons | flock |
| woodpeckers | descent |
| nightingales | watch |
| seagulls | colony |
Sea Creatures22
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| fish | shoal |
| dolphins | pod |
| sharks | shiver |
| jellyfish | bloom |
| turtles | bale |
| whales | pod |
| seals | harem |
| crabs | cast |
| octopuses | consortium |
| squid | shoal |
| shrimp | troupe |
| lobsters | risk |
| oysters | bed |
| clams | bed |
| clownfish | school |
| salmon | run |
| trout | hover |
| eels | swarm |
| seahorses | herd |
| stingrays | fever |
| piranhas | shoal |
| herring | army |
Minibeasts15
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| bees | swarm |
| butterflies | kaleidoscope |
| ants | colony |
| snails | walk |
| caterpillars | army |
| mosquitoes | scourge |
| wasps | pledge |
| locusts | plague |
| ladybirds | loveliness |
| crickets | orchestra |
| flies | swarm |
| beetles | colony |
| cockroaches | intrusion |
| scorpions | bed |
| worms | clew |
Pets & Everyday6
| Animal | Collective noun |
|---|
| cats | clowder |
| dogs | pack |
| rats | mischief |
| mice | horde |
| rabbits | fluffle |
| hamsters | horde |