Have you ever wondered why we use collective nouns for animals? The main reason is that they make our speech more interesting and colorful. Instead of saying a group of birds, we can say a flock of birds. Collective nouns also help us to be more specific when referring to groups of animals. For example, we can differentiate between a herd of cows and a flock of sheep.

Collective nouns can also help us to visualize a scene better. When we hear the word swarm, we can imagine a group of bees buzzing around a hive. Similarly, when we hear the word pack, we can imagine a group of wolves hunting together.

In this reference, you'll find a lot of great animal collective noun examples to improve your own vocabulary. Let's get started!

Comprehensive List of Collective Nouns for Animals

Here is handy animal collective nouns list for your reference!

Collective Nouns for Birds

• A flock of birds
• A flight of birds
• A gaggle of geese
• A murder of crows
• A parliament of owls
• A gaggle of geese
• A brood of hens
• A tiding of magpies
• A charm of finches
• A company of parrots
• A host of sparrows
• A siege of herons
• A scold of jays
• A covey of turtledoves
• A passel of woodpeckers

Collective Nouns for Mammals

• A herd of cows
• A pack of wolves
• A skulk of badgers
• A pride of lions
• A pod of dolphins
• A troop of monkeys
• A colony of bats
• A mischief of mice
• A pod of whales
• A drove of pigs
• A mob of kangaroos
• A sounder of wild boars
• A sleuth of bears
• A pack of dogs
• A trip of goats
• A gam of whales
• A tower of giraffes
• A kindle of kittens
• A clowder of cats
• A muster of peafowl
• A leap of leopards
• A skulk of foxes
• A crash of rhinoceroses

Collective Nouns for Fish

• A school of fish
• A shoal of fish
• A run of salmon
• A swarm of eels
• A school of trout
• A shoal of barracudas

Collective Nouns for Insects

• A swarm of bees
• A colony of ants
• An army of caterpillars
• A cloud of grasshoppers
• A horde of gnats
• A rabble of butterflies
• A scourge of mosquitoes
• A plague of locusts

Collective Nouns for Reptiles

• A bask of crocodiles
• An aggregation of snakes
• A knot of snakes
• A knot of toads
• A gamble of alligators
• A lounge of lizards
• A bale of turtles
• A pod of crocodiles

4

Funny and Unusual Collective Nouns for Animals

Some collective nouns for animals are funny and unusual. Here are some examples:

• A mischief of mice
• A pandemonium of parrots
• A parliament of owls
• A business of ferrets
• A bloat of hippopotamuses
• A flamboyance of flamingos
• A tower of giraffes
• A crash of rhinoceroses
• A skulk of foxes
• A gamble of alligators

How to Use Collective Nouns in Sentences

Using collective nouns in sentences is easy. Here are some examples:

• The flock of birds was flying south for the winter.
• The herd of cows was grazing in the field.
• A swarm of bees was buzzing outside the hive.
• The pack of wolves was hunting for food.
• A school of fish was swimming in the sea.
• A colony of ants was marching across the ground.
• The pride of lions was lounging in the sun.
• The troop of monkeys was swinging from tree to tree.
• The gaggle of geese was honking loudly.

Collective Nouns for Animal Families

Some collective nouns are used to refer to specific animal families. Here are some examples:

• A litter of puppies
• A litter of kittens
• A litter of cubs
• A clutch of chicks
• A brood of ducklings
• A сlutch of eggs
• A shoal of fry
• A fry of eels
• A school of trout
• A herd of calves

More fun animal collective nouns

• We call a group of unicorns a blessing. (a poetic way to describe unicorns, it's not a formal collective noun.)
• We call a group of rhinoceroses a crash.
• We call a group of porcupines a prickle.
• We call a group of hedgehogs an array.
• We call a group of flamingos a flamboyance.

Summary

Collective nouns for animals make our speech more interesting and colorful. They help us to be more specific and visual in our language. There are many collective nouns for different animal groups, and some are funny and unusual. Using collective nouns in sentences is easy, and they are often used to refer to specific animal families. Remember to have fun with these and use them to add some creativity to your language!