Its earliest uses were for great assemblies of bees on the wing, and indeed swarm of bees is still common. Perhaps swarm is an easier collective noun to get one's hands on. Herd, a word most people associate with deer, horses, or cattle, has been used of porpoises, seals, and birds, and flock, a word we now associate with sheep and birds, has been used of elephants, lions, camels, and pigs. Historically, a herd was any group of animals traveling or eating together, as was a flock, and this jumble continued on into the modern era. But herd and flock are also used of game animals in set phrases-a herd of deer a flock of geese. In this particular use, herd tends to be used of cattle or other bovine animals, and flock tends to be used of sheep and goats. Both herd and flock are used of animals (and usually farm animals) that are domesticated and kept under the care of a person. Fish also come in shoals, which comes from an Old English word that means "multitudes." If it's a group of one type of aquatic mammal-whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals-then they tend to gather in pods.īut once we get out of the sea, the rules for what to generically call groups of creatures get more complicated.
No, not that school: this particular word comes from a Middle Dutch word that refers to a group of animals together. The fish-true fish, at any rate-are the easiest to classify. But what distinguishes a herd from a flock, or a swarm from a colony? And what do you call a group of fish? He taught and worked as a naturalist for 50 years.Ask someone about collective nouns and they're liable to holler "a murder of crows!" or "an exaltation of larks!" While the dramatic collective nouns are the ones that get the most attention, we use a number of collective terms every day. His observations have been part of the Minnesota Weatherguide Environment Calendars since 1977, and he is the author of five books on nature in Minnesota. Jim Gilbert’s Nature Notes are heard on WCCO Radio at 7:15 a.m.
There also is a wedge of swans a raft of ducks (when in large close groups on open water appearing as a solid body) a host of sparrows a flight of swallows an exaltation of larks a rabble of butterflies a band of coyotes and a cloud of gnats. The correct terms may seem archaic, but they are certainly descriptive.Ī few accepted bird and other animal group names:Ī charm of hummingbirds or goldfinches a staring of owls a covey of quail a chattering of starlings and a party or band of jays. I have found several lists that include group names for some types of birds, as well as for other animals. If the group is flying, it becomes a skein if the group is on water, it’s a gaggle. It’s not, “Look at the 119 geese!” But rather a simple: “Look at the flock!” In researching the correct group name for the Canada geese I see daily in the Twin Cities, I found that flock is correct, but only if the geese are standing around or grazing on grasses. Flock in most cases is fine, but it’s also fun to be more imaginative.Ĭollective nouns are words that identify a collection of individuals. When we happen to see bunches of birds of various species - especially now during migrations - we sometimes are uncertain about whether to call them flocks or bands or something else. We are seeing flotillas of American coots called rafts this time of year, and also kettles of hawks high overhead.
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