112 Collective Nouns For Birds: From Avocets to Woodpeckers

Looking for the collective nouns for birds? Here’s the name for a wide range of groups of birds.

The English language has many funny words for the most diverse flocks of birds!

Not only that, but it also has some curious collective nouns for animals of all kinds.

In this article, we will present you with many bird species with more than one collective noun, which may be confusing because one can’t possibly learn them all.

Still, we think these names for flocks of birds are pretty funny and worth sharing. Check them out!

Collective bird nouns: a flock of birds (generic noun for any type of bird) and a flight of birds (when in flight).

Collective Nouns For Birds

Here are the flock names in alphabetical order:

Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) — The collective noun for avocets is colony

Names for Groups of Birds – A

Albatrosses – a rookery or weight of albatrosses

Auks – a colony or raft of auks

Avocets – a colony of avocets

Names for Groups of Birds – B

Bitterns – a pretence, sedge, or siege of bitterns

Blackbirds – a cloud or grind of blackbirds

Bobolinks – a chain of bobolinks

Budgerigars – a chatter of budgerigars

Bullfinches – a bellowing of bullfinches

Buzzards – a wake of buzzards

Flightless Cormorant flapping wings — The collective noun for cormorants is gulp

Names for Groups of Birds – C

Capercaillies – a tok of capercaillie

Capons – a mews of capons

Cardinals – a college, conclave, radiance, or Vatican of cardinals

Catbirds – a mewing of catbirds

Chickadees – a banditry of chickadees

Chicks – a brood, clutch, or clattering of chicks

Chickens – a brood or peep of chickens

Choughs – a chattering of choughs

Coots – a covert or raft of coots

Cormorants – a flight, gulp, or swim of cormorants

Cowbirds – a corral or herd of cowbirds

Cranes – a dance, herd, sedge, or siege of cranes

Creepers – a spiral of creepers

Crossbills – a crookedness or warp of crossbills

Crows – a congress, muster, or murder of crows

Curlews – a herd of curlews

Names for Groups of Birds – D

Dotterels – a trip of dotterel

Doves – a bevy, dule, flight, or piteousness of doves

Ducks – a plump (when in flight), paddling (on water), raft, team, or badling of ducks

Dunlins – a fling of dunlins

Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) facing camera — The collective noun for eagles is convocation

Names for Groups of Birds – E

Eagles – a congress or convocation of eagles

Egrets – a stand of egrets

Emus – a mob of emus

Names for Groups of Birds – F

Falcons – a cast, soar, or tower of falcons

Finches – a charm, trembling, or trimming of finches

Flamingos – a flamboyance or stand of flamingos

Fowl – plump, trip, or skein (when in flight) of fowls

Frigatebirds – a fleet or flotilla of frigatebirds

Names for Groups of Birds – G

Godwits – an omniscience, pantheon, or prayer of godwits

Goldfinches – a chirm, drum, troubling, or charm of goldfinches

Goosanders – a dopping of goo sanders

Geese – a gaggle, nide, skein, plump (on water), or wedge (when in flight) of geese

Goshawks – a flight of goshawks

Grosbeaks – a gross of grosbeaks

Grouse – a brace, covey, lek, or pack of grouse

Guillemots – a bazaar of guillemots

Guinea fowl – a confusion of guinea fowl

Gulls – a colony or screech of gulls

Brazilian Ruby hummingbird flying — The collective noun for hummingbirds is charm

Names for Groups of Birds – H

Hawks – a cast, lease, kettle, or boil (when in flight) of hawks

Hen harriers – a harassment or swarm of hen harriers

Hens – a brood of hens

Herons – a glean, siege, sedge, or station of herons

Hoatzins – a herd of hoatzins

Honeyeaters – a probe of honeyeaters

Hummingbirds – a charm, glittering, shimmer, or bouquet of hummingbirds

Names for Groups of Birds – J

Jackdaws – a clattering or train of jackdaws

Jays – a band, party, or scold of jays

Names for Groups of Birds – K

Kingbirds – a coronation, court, or tyranny of kingbirds

Kingfishers – a concentration, realm, or crown of kingfishers

Knots – a cluster of knots

Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris penicillata) on rock — The collective noun for larks is exaltation

Names for Groups of Birds – L

Lapwings – a deceit or desert of lapwings

Larks – a bevy, exaltation, or exalting of larks

Loons – an asylum, cry, or water dance of loons

Names for Groups of Birds – M

Magpies – a conventicle, gulp, mischief, tiding, or tittering of magpies

Mallards – a sute or sord of mallards

Martins – a richness of martins

Mudhen – a fleet of mudhen

Names for Groups of Birds – N

Nightingales – a watch of nightingales

Names for Groups of Birds – O

Owls – a parliament, stare, study, or wisdom of owls

Oystercatchers – a parcel of oystercatchers

Group of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) — The collective noun for penguins is colony

Names for Groups of Birds – P

Painted buntings – a mural or palette of painted buntings

Parrots – a company, prattle, or pandemonium of parrots

Partridges – a covey of partridges

Peacocks – a muster, ostentation, or pride of peacocks

Pelicans – a pod, scoop, or squadron of pelicans

Penguins – a colony, creche, huddle, parcel, or rookery of penguins

Phalaropes – a swirl, twirl, whirl, or whirling of phalaropes

Pheasants – a bouquet, covey, nide, or nye of pheasants

Pigeons – a band, dropping, flock, flights, kit, loft, passel, or stool of pigeons

Plovers – a congregation or wing of plovers

Ptarmigans – a covey of ptarmigans

Names for Groups of Birds – Q

Quails – a covey or bevy of quail

Names for Groups of Birds – R

Ravens – a constable, unkindness, or conspiracy of ravens

Roadrunners – a race or marathon of roadrunners

Robins – a blush, bobbin, breast, carol, gift, reliant, riot, rouge, round, ruby, or worm of robins

Rooks – a building, clamour, or parliament of rooks

Ruffs – a hill of ruffs

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) stretching on a mist covered lake at dawn — The collective noun for swans is bevy

Names for Groups of Birds – S

Sapsuckers – a slurp of sapsuckers

Sandpipers – a bind, cluster, contradiction, fling, hill, or time-step of sandpipers

Seafowll – a cloud of seafowll

Seagulls – a colony or flock of seagulls

Shelducks – a doading or dropping of shelducks

Skimmers – a scoop of skimmers

Skylarks – an exultation of skylarks

Snipe – a walk or wisp of snipe

Sparrows – a host, quarrel, or ubiquity of sparrows

Starlings – a chattering, affliction, constellation, or murmuration of starlings

Storks – a muster or phalanx of storks

Swallows – a flight or gulp of swallows

Swans – a gaggle, wedge (when in flight), bank, bevy, whiteness, herd, eyrar, gargle, or lamentation of swans

Eurasian teal duck on water — The collective noun for teal is spring

Names for Groups of Birds – T

Teals – a diving or spring of teal

Terns – a cotillion of terns

Thrushes – a mutation of thrushes

Turkeys – a gang, raffle, or rafter of turkeys

Turtle doves – a dole or pitying of turtle doves

Names for Groups of Birds – V

Vultures – a committee, venue, volt, wake, or kettle (when in flight) of vultures

Names for Groups of Birds – W

Warblers – a confusion, fall, or wrench of warblers

Waterfowl – a bunch, knob, plump, or raft (on water) of waterfowl

Waxwings – a museum of waxwings

Wigeon – a coil of wigeon

Woodpeckers – a gatling or descent of woodpeckers

Woodcocks – a fall of woodcocks

Wrens – a herd of wrens

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