Collective nouns for animals
A collective noun is the special word for a group of a particular animal. A group of lions is called a pride, a group of crows is an unkindness, and a group of giraffes is a tower. Below is an A–Z reference for every animal in the guide, grouped by type.
- a pride of lions
- a pack of wolves
- an unkindness of ravens
- a parliament of owls
- a tower of giraffes
- a dazzle of zebras
Mammals
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| African Elephant | a herd (also parade) |
| American Bison | a herd (also gang) |
| Bat | a colony (also cloud) |
| Blue Whale | a pod |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | a pod (also school) |
| Camel | a caravan (also herd, flock) |
| Capybara | a herd |
| Cat | a clowder (also glaring) |
| Cheetah | a coalition |
| Chimpanzee | a troop (also community) |
| Cougar | a prowl |
| Dog | a pack |
| Giant Panda | an embarrassment |
| Giraffe | a tower |
| Gorilla | a troop (also band) |
| Gray Wolf | a pack |
| Grizzly Bear | a sleuth (also sloth) |
| Hedgehog | an array |
| Hippopotamus | a bloat (also pod) |
| Horse | a herd (also team, harras) |
| Humpback Whale | a pod |
| Ibex | a herd |
| Impala | a herd |
| Jaguar | a prowl |
| Koala | a colony |
| Leopard | a leap (also prowl) |
| Lion | a pride |
| Meerkat | a mob (also gang) |
| Moose | a herd |
| Orangutan | a buffoonery |
| Orca | a pod |
| Otter | a raft (also romp, bevy) |
| Polar Bear | a sleuth (also sloth) |
| Quokka | a colony |
| Rabbit | a colony (also nest, fluffle) |
| Raccoon | a gaze (also nursery) |
| Red Fox | a skulk (also leash) |
| Red Kangaroo | a mob (also troop) |
| Red Panda | a pack |
| Rhinoceros | a crash |
| Sea Otter | a raft |
| Sloth | a bed |
| Snow Leopard | a prowl (also leap) |
| Spotted Hyena | a clan (also cackle) |
| Squirrel | a scurry (also dray) |
| Tiger | a streak (also ambush) |
| Uakari | a troop |
| Urial | a herd |
| Vampire Bat | a colony (also cloud, cauldron) |
| Vaquita | a pod |
| White-tailed Deer | a herd |
| Xerus | a colony |
| Yak | a herd |
| Zebra | a dazzle (also zeal) |
Birds
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| African Grey Parrot | a pandemonium (also company, flock) |
| American Robin | a round |
| Atlantic Puffin | a circus (also colony, improbability) |
| Bald Eagle | a convocation |
| Barn Owl | a parliament |
| Blue Jay | a party (also band, scold) |
| Budgerigar | a flock (also chatter) |
| Cockatiel | a flock |
| Common Kingfisher | a concentration (also crown, rattle) |
| Common Raven | an unkindness (also conspiracy) |
| Emperor Penguin | a colony (also rookery, waddle) |
| Flamingo | a flamboyance (also stand, colony) |
| Golden Eagle | a convocation |
| Great Horned Owl | a parliament |
| Ibis | a colony (also wedge) |
| Mallard | a raft (also flock, paddling, sord) |
| Northern Cardinal | a college (also radiance) |
| Ostrich | a flock (also troop) |
| Peacock | an ostentation (also muster, party) |
| Peregrine Falcon | a cast |
| Quail | a covey (also bevy) |
| Red-tailed Hawk | a kettle (also cast, boil) |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | a charm (also bouquet, glittering) |
| Scarlet Macaw | a pandemonium (also flock) |
| Snowy Owl | a parliament |
| Toco Toucan | a flock |
| Vulture | a committee (also kettle, wake) |
Reptiles
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| American Alligator | a congregation |
| Asian Water Monitor | a lounge |
| Ball Python | a nest (also bed) |
| Bearded Dragon | a lounge |
| Boa Constrictor | a nest |
| Corn Snake | a nest |
| Frilled Lizard | a lounge |
| Galápagos Tortoise | a creep |
| Garter Snake | a nest (also den) |
| Gharial | a bask |
| Gila Monster | a lounge |
| Green Anaconda | a bed (also knot) |
| Green Iguana | a lounge |
| Green Sea Turtle | a bale (also nest) |
| King Cobra | a nest (also den, bed) |
| Komodo Dragon | a bank |
| Leopard Gecko | a lounge |
| Nile Crocodile | a bask (also float) |
| Saltwater Crocodile | a bask (also float) |
| Snapping Turtle | a bale |
| Western Diamondback Rattlesnake | a rhumba (also nest, den) |
Amphibians
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| African Clawed Frog | an army |
| American Bullfrog | an army |
| Axolotl | a colony |
| Cane Toad | a knot |
| Common Toad | a knot |
| Eastern Newt | a knot |
| Fire Salamander | a congress (also band) |
| Glass Frog | an army |
| Goliath Frog | an army |
| Gray Tree Frog | an army |
| Hellbender | a congress |
| Oriental Fire-bellied Toad | a knot |
| Pacman Frog | an army |
| Poison Dart Frog | an army |
| Red-Eyed Tree Frog | an army |
| Spotted Salamander | a congress |
| Tiger Salamander | a congress |
| Tomato Frog | an army |
| Wood Frog | an army |
Fish
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | a school (also shoal, fever) |
| Atlantic Salmon | a run (also school) |
| Blue Tang | a school (also shoal) |
| Bull Shark | a shiver (also school) |
| Clownfish | a school (also shoal) |
| Goldfish | a school (also shoal) |
| Guppy | a school |
| Hammerhead Shark | a shiver (also school) |
| Koi | a school |
| Manta Ray | a fever |
| Pufferfish | a school |
| Red-bellied Piranha | a shoal (also school) |
| Seahorse | a herd |
| Shortfin Mako Shark | a shiver (also school) |
| Stingray | a fever (also school) |
| Tiger Shark | a shiver (also school) |
| Whale Shark | a shiver (also school) |
| X-ray Tetra | a school (also shoal) |
Insects
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| Ant | a colony (also army, swarm) |
| Asian Giant Hornet | a swarm (also nest) |
| Bumblebee | a swarm (also colony) |
| Cicada | a cloud (also plague, swarm) |
| Cockroach | an intrusion |
| Cricket | a swarm |
| Dragonfly | a swarm (also cluster, flight) |
| Dung Beetle | a colony |
| Firefly | a swarm |
| Flea | a swarm (also infestation) |
| Grasshopper | a cloud (also swarm) |
| Honey Bee | a swarm (also colony, hive) |
| Housefly | a swarm (also cloud, business) |
| Ladybug | a loveliness |
| Luna Moth | a swarm |
| Monarch Butterfly | a kaleidoscope (also flutter, swarm) |
| Mosquito | a swarm (also scourge) |
| Rhinoceros Beetle | a swarm (also colony) |
| Stag Beetle | a swarm (also colony) |
| Termite | a colony (also swarm, nest) |
| Wasp | a swarm (also colony, nest) |
| Yellowjacket | a nest (also swarm) |
Invertebrates
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| Black Widow Spider | a clutter (also cluster) |
| Blue Crab | a cast |
| Coral | a colony |
| Earthworm | a bed (also clew) |
| Emperor Scorpion | a bed (also nest) |
| Garden Snail | a rout (also walk, escargatoire) |
| Giant Clam | a bed |
| Giant Squid | a shoal |
| Hermit Crab | a cast |
| Jellyfish | a smack (also bloom, swarm) |
| Jumping Spider | a clutter (also cluster) |
| Octopus | a consortium |
| Starfish | a constellation |
| Tarantula | a clutter (also cluster) |
Looking for what the young are called? See our guide to
baby animal names
or browse all
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.
Animal collective nouns: FAQs
What is a collective noun for animals?
A collective noun is the special word used for a group of a particular animal — for example, a group of lions is called a pride, a group of crows is an unkindness, and a group of geese is a gaggle. Many of these terms date back to medieval English hunting tradition.
What is the group of lions called?
A group of lions is called a pride.
What is a group of wolves called?
A group of wolves is called a pack.
What is the most unusual animal collective noun?
Some of the most surprising include an unkindness of ravens, a parliament of owls, an embarrassment of pandas, a flamboyance of flamingos, and a tower of giraffes.
Why do animals have such strange group names?
Most whimsical collective nouns come from 15th-century English hunting books, such as the 1486 Book of Saint Albans, which listed playful 'terms of venery' for animals. Many stuck and are still used today.