A guide to collective nouns for birds. Learn what to call groups of eagles, owls, geese, and more with their fascinating origins.
🐦⬛ Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Ravens Called? One of the smartest birds on the planet, wrapped in one of the darkest collective nouns. 💬 A group of ravens is most often called an unkindness, with conspiracy also in common use. Ravens (Corvus corax) are among the most intelligent birds alive, … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Brood? The word for a clutch of young raised together — mostly feathers, with one surprising outlier. 💬 “Brood” is a collective noun for chickens, grouse, hens, and turkeys — the classic term for a set of young hatched and raised together — plus jellyfish, a much … Read more
🐦 Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Swifts Called? A bird so committed to flying that it barely ever touches down. 💬 A group of swifts is called a flock, with drift also used. Common swifts are famous for spending almost their entire lives in the air, some individuals stay continuously airborne … Read more
🦆 Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Pochard Called? A lesser-known diving duck, and the term that describes it whether it’s resting on water or on the wing. Quick answer: A group of pochard is most commonly called a flock of pochard. Like other diving ducks, a group resting together on water … Read more
🐦 Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Magpies Called? A clever, self-aware bird with a reputation it may not fully deserve. 💬 A group of magpies is most often called a tiding, with congregation and charm also used. Magpies are one of the very few non-mammal species known to recognize themselves in … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Raft? No life vest required — just three animals that gather by floating together on the water. 💬 “Raft” is a collective noun for auks, ducks, and otters — three very different animals tied together by the same simple image: bodies bobbing side by side at the … Read more
🐦 Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Plovers Called? A shorebird famous for one of the best fake-outs in the animal kingdom. 💬 A group of plovers is called a deceit, one of the more famous and fitting collective nouns in English, named for the plover’s convincing broken-wing act used to lure … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Knob? One of the odder entries on any collective-noun list — and a genuinely obscure one. 💬 “Knob” is a collective noun for pintail and pochard — two duck species that turn up together on wildfowling-tradition word lists. It’s an attested term for both, but a rare … Read more
🦆 Birds · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Mallards Called? The most familiar duck in the world has its own dedicated collective noun — and it’s not the one you’d expect. Quick answer: A group of mallards is most specifically called a sord of mallards — a term historically reserved just for this … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Fleet? Ducklings, foxes, and a duck-lookalike bird — but only one of them wears the title comfortably. 💬 “Fleet” is a collective noun for ducklings, foxes, and mudhens (American coots) — though it’s the clear front-runner for only one of the three. The word comes from Old … Read more