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December 21, 2010

What To Call Bunches Of Birds

There are an awful lot of birds mentioned in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song, which got me thinking.  So I searched online and found this bird list.  It's handy for knowing how to refer to various birds en masse.  ("Flamboyance of Flamingoes" is my favorite; after all, you can't spell "Flamingo" without "Flaming"!) 


Auks: A raft of Auks

Birds: A dissimulation of birds


Birds: A volery of birds


Birds: A flock of birds


Birds: A covey of birds


Bitterns: A sedge of bitterns


Bitterns: A siege of bitterns


Bullfinches: A bellowing of bullfinches


Buzzards: A wake of buzzards


Capons: A mews of capons


Chickens: A peep of chickens


Chicks: A clutch of chicks


Choughs: A clattering of choughs


Cocks: A yeoman of cocks


Coots: A cover of coots


Coots: A raft of coots


Cormorants: A flight of cormorants


Cranes: A sedge of cranes


Crows: A horde of crows


Crows: A hover of crows


Crows: A mob of crows


Crows: A murder of crows


Crows: A muster of crows


Crows: A parcel of crows


Crows: A parliament of crows


Crows: A storytelling of crows


Curlews: A head of curlews


Dotterel: A trip of dotterel


Doves: A dole of doves


Doves: A dule of doves


Doves: A flight of doves


Doves: A piteousness of doves


Doves: A pitying of doves


Doves: A prettying of doves


Ducks: A dopping of ducks (diving)


Ducks: A plump of ducks (flying)


Ducks: A paddling of ducks (on water)

Ducks: A flush of ducks (on water)

Ducks: A raft of ducks

Ducks: A sord of ducks


Ducks: A team of ducks


Ducks: A twack of ducks


Dunlin: A fling of dunlins


Eagles: A congress of eagles


Eagles: A convocation of eagles


Falcons: A cast of falcons


Finches: A charm of finches


Finches: A trembing of finches


Finches: A trimming of finches


Flamingoes: A flamboyance of flamingoes


Flamingoes: A stand of flamingoes


Goldfinches: A drum of goldfinches


Goldfinches: A troubling of goldfinches


Goldfinches: A charm of goldfinches


Geese: A wedge of geese (flying)


Geese: A flock of geese


Geese: A gaggle of geese


Geese: A nide of geese


Geese: A skein of geese


Geese: A plump of geese (on water)


Goshawks: A flight of goshawks


Grouse: A covey of grouse


Grouse: A lek of grouse


Grouse: A pack of grouse


Guillemots: A bazaar of guillemots


Guinea Fowl: A confusion of guinea fowl


Gulls: A colony of gulls


Gulls: A screech of gulls


Hawks: A cast of hawks


Hawks: A kettle of hawks


Hens: A brood of hens


Herons: A siege of herons


Hummingbirds: A charm of hummingbirds


Jays: A band of jays


Jays: A party of jays


Jays: A scold of jays


Lapwings: A deceit of lapwings


Lapwings: A desert of lapwings


Larks: A bevy of larks


Larks: An exaltation of larks


Magpies: A conventicle of magpies


Magpies: A tiding(s) of magpies


Mallards: A lute of mallards


Mallards: A sord of mallards


Martins: A richness of martins


Mudhen: A fleet of mudhen


Nightingales: A watch of nightingales


Ostriches: A flock of ostriches


Owls: A parliament of owls


Owls: A stare of owls


Parrots: A company of parrots


Parrots: A prattle of parrots


Parrots: A pandemonium of parrots


Partridges: A bew of partridges


Partridges: A covey of partridges


Peacocks: A muster of peacocks


Peacocks: A pride of peacocks


Peacocks: An ostentation of peacocks


Penguins: A colony of penguins


Penguins: A creche of penguins


Penguins: A huddle of penguins


Penguins: A parcel of penguins


Penguins: A rookery of penguins


Pheasants: A bouquet of pheasants


Pheasants: A covey of pheasants


Pheasants: A nide of pheasants


Pheasants: A nye of pheasants


Pigeons: A kit of pigeons


Pigeons: A loft of pigeons


Plovers: A congregation of plovers


Poultry: A run of poultry


Ptarmigan: A covey of ptarmigan


Quail: A bevy of quail


Quail: A covey of quail


Ravens: A conspiracy of ravens


Ravens: A murder of ravens


Ravens: A storytelling of ravens


Ravens: An unkindness of ravens


Rooks: A building of rooks


Rooks: A clamour of rooks


Rooks: A parliament of rooks


Ruffs: A hill of ruffs


Sandpipers: A fling of sandpipers


Sea Fowl: A cloud of sea fowl


Seagulls: A flock of seagulls


Ssheldrakes: A doading of sheldrakes


Skylarks: An exultation of skylarks


Snipe: A walk of snipe


Snipe: A wisp of snipe


Sparrows: A host of sparrows


Sparrows: A quarrel of sparrows


Sparrows: A ubiquity of sparrows


Starlings: A murmuration of starlings


Storks: A muster of storks


Storks: A phalanx of storks


Swallows: A flight of swallows


Swallows: A gulp of swallows


Swans: A gaggle of swans


Swans: A wedge of swans (flying)


Swans: A bank of swans


Swans: A bevy of swans


Swans: A whiteness of swans


Swans: A gargle of swans


Swans: An eyrar of swans


Teal: A diving of teal


Teal: A spring of teal


Thrushes: A mutation of thrushes


Turkeys: A raffle of turkeys


Turkeys: A rafter of turkeys


Turtle Doves: A pitying of turtledoves


Waterfowl: A knob of waterfowl


Waterfowl: A plump of waterfowl


Wigeon: A coil of wigeon


Woodpeckers: A descent of woodpeckers

2 comments:

  1. love it!
    a pitying of doves? of course!
    a siege of herons? yes!
    a charm of hummingbirds? what else?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, Marion... I can always count on you!

    ReplyDelete

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