Bird Orders, Families etc. | Group Names |
Geese, Ducks & Swans | |
Geese | A gaggle – on land or water |
A skein – in flight | |
A chevron, wedge – flying in a "V" | |
Ducks | A safe – on land |
A paddling, raft – on water | |
A dopping – when diving | |
A plump, team – in flight | |
Wigeons | A company, knob, trip |
Mallards | A sord, sute – in flight |
Teal | A coil, diving, knob, spring |
Swans | A ballet, bevy, drift, herd, regatta, whiteness |
Grouse, Partridge and Wild Turkeys | |
Partridge | A bevy, bew, covey, jugging, warren |
Grouse | A chorus, covey, drumming (during mating season), grumbling, leash, lek, pack |
Wild Turkeys | A gang, rafter |
Loons | An asylum, cry, water dance |
Grebes | A water dance |
Cormorants | A flight, gulp, sunning, swim |
Bitterns and Herons | |
Bitterns | A dash, pretense, sedge, siege |
Herons | A battery, hedge, pose, rookery, scattering |
Egrets | A congregation, RSVP, skewer, wedge |
Turkey Vultures | A cast, colony, committee, venue, wake |
Eagles and Hawks | |
Eagles | An aerie, congress, convocation, jubilee, soar, spread, tower |
Harriers | A harassment, swarm |
Hawks | A boil, kettle (riding a thermal), knot, spiralling, screw, stream |
Goshawks | A flight, glare, gross |
Rails and Coots | |
Virginia Rails | A reel |
Soras | An ache, expression, whinny |
Coots | A commotion, cover, covert, fleet, raft, swarm |
Moorhens | A plump |
Plovers | |
Plovers | A congregation, wing (in flight) |
Killdeer | A season |
Sandpipers, Snipe and Woodcock | |
Yellowlegs | An incontinence |
Sandpipers | A bind, contradiction, fling, hill, time-step |
Snipe | A leash, volley, walk, wisp |
Woodcock | A cord, fall, flight, plump, rush |
Gulls & Terns | |
Gulls | A colony, flotilla, pack, scavenging, screech, squabble |
Terns | A ternery, "U" |
Common Terns | A committee |
Pigeons and Doves | |
Pigeons | A band, dropping, flight, kit, loft, passel, plague, school |
Doves | A dole, dule, flight |
Owls | A bazaar, glaring, parliament, sagaciousness, silence (in flight) stare, stooping, wisdom |
Barn Owls | A stable |
Barred Owls | A jail, a prohibition |
Snowy Owls | A blizzard |
Nightjars – Nighthawks & Whip-poor-wills | |
Nighthawks | A kettle |
Whip-poor-wills | An invisibility, seek |
Swifts and Hummingbirds | |
Swifts | A box, drift, screaming frenzy, swoop |
Hummingbirds | A bouquet, charm, hover, glittering, shimmer, tune |
Kingfishers | A clique, concentration, crown, rattle, realm |
Woodpeckers | |
Woodpeckers | A descent, descension, drumming, fall, gatling |
Sapsuckers | A slurp |
Flickers | A guttering, menorah, Peterson |
Pileated Woodpeckers | A crown |
Falcons | |
Kestrels | A flight, hover, soar |
Merlins | A brace, leash, illusion |
Falcons | A bazaar, cadge, cast |
Perching Birds | |
Flycatchers | |
Flycatchers | An outfield, swatting, zapper, zipper |
Pewees | A dribble, squirt |
Kingbirds | A coronation, court, tyranny |
Shrikes | An abattoir, watch |
Vireos | |
Vireos | A call |
Red-eyed Vireos | A hangover |
Jays and Crows | |
Jays | A band, cast, party, scold |
Crows | A cauldron, caucus, congress, cowardice, horde, hover, mob, murder, muster, parcel, storytelling |
Ravens | A bazaar, congress, conspiracy, constable, rant, scatter, unkindness |
Larks | An ascension, chattering, exaltation, happiness, spring, springful |
Swallows and Martins | |
Purple Martins | A colony, richness |
Swallows | A flight, gulp, herd, kettle, richness, swoop |
Tree Swallows | A stand |
Bank Swallows | A foreclosure |
Barn Swallows | A kettle |
Chickadees | A banditry, dissimulation |
Nuthatches | A jar |
Creepers | A sleeze, spiral |
Wrens | A chime, herd |
Kinglets | A castle, court, dynasty, princedom |
Thrushes | |
Thrushes | A mutation |
Robins | A worm |
Mockingbirds and Thrashers | |
Catbirds | A mewing, seat |
Mockingbirds | An echo, exactness, impression,plagiary, precision, ridicule |
Starlings | A chattering, cloud, clutter, congregation, constellation, filth, murmuration, scourge, vulgarity |
Waxwings | An ear-full, museum |
Snow Buntings | A drift |
Warblers | |
Ovenbirds | A stew |
Warblers | A bouquet, confusion, fall, wrench |
Black-and-white Warblers | A dichotomy, distinction, integration |
Mourning Warblers | A wake |
Magnolia Warblers | A corsage |
Yellow Warblers | A stream, sweetness, trepidation |
Palm Warblers | A reading |
Pine Warblers | A cone |
New World Sparrows | |
Towhees | A tangle, teapot |
Sparrows, Juncoes | A crew, flutter, host, meinie, quarrel, tribe, ubiquity |
American Tree Sparrows | A grove |
Chipping Sparrows | A tournament |
Field Sparrows | A crue |
Vesper Sparrows | A congregation, liturgy |
Fox Sparrows | A den, flock, slyness |
Song Sparrows | A choir, chorus |
Cardinals and Grosbeaks | |
Tanagers | A season |
Cardinals | A college, conclave, deck, radiance, Vatican |
Grosbeaks (ex.Rose-breasted) | A gross |
Buntings | A decoration, mural, sacrifice |
Blackbirds | |
Bobolinks | A chain |
Blackbirds | A cloud, cluster, grind, merl |
Cowbirds | A corral, herd |
Orioles | A pitch, split |
Finches | |
Finches | A charm, company, trembling, trimming |
House Finches | A development |
Crossbills | A crookedness, warp |
Redpolls | A gallup |
Goldfinches | A 007, charm, chattering, drum, glister, rush, treasury, troubling, vein |
Grosbeaks (ex. Pine, Evening) | A gross |
Old World Sparrows | |
House Sparrows | A blight, humiliation, subdivision |
~~~~~ | |
Other | |
Flamingos | A flamboyance |
Peacocks | An ostentation |
Otters | A romp |
Porcupines | A prickle |
Raccoons | A mask |
Skunks | A stench |