What do you call a group of cats, dogs, parrots, or rabbits? English has a practical answer for many animals—such as pack, flock, herd, and colony—along with dozens of traditional and imaginative terms. These names are called collective nouns.
Here are 101 animal group names, arranged alphabetically. Some are everyday terms useful for describing pets and wildlife; others are old-fashioned or playful expressions most often found in books, quizzes, and educational material.
The word after of is the collective noun: for example, a clowder of cats or a pack of dogs. Where a species has more than one familiar group name, this list includes one established option.
A
Animal
Group name
Aardvarks
an armoury
Ants
a colony
Apes
a troop
Armadillos
a roll
B
Animal
Group name
Baboons
a troop
Badgers
a cete
Bats
a colony
Bears
a sloth
Bees
a hive
Bison
a gang
Butterflies
a flight
C
Animal
Group name
Camels
a flock
Canaries
an opera
Cats
a clowder
Cheetahs
a coalition
Cobras
a quiver
Crabs
a scuttle
Crickets
an orchestra
Crows
a murder
D
Animal
Group name
Deer
a herd
Dogs
a pack
Dolphins
a pod
Doves
a dole
Ducks
a flock
E
Animal
Group name
Eagles
a convocation
Eels
a swarm
Elephants
a herd
Emus
a mob
F
Animal
Group name
Falcons
a cast
Ferrets
a business
Finches
a charm
Fish
a shoal
Flamingos
a stand
Foxes
an earth
Frogs
a knot
G
Animal
Group name
Giraffes
a tower
Gorillas
a band
Geese
a gaggle
H
Animal
Group name
Hamsters
a horde
Hares
a down
Hedgehogs
a prickle
Horses
a herd
I
Animal
Group name
Ibises
a colony
Iguanas
a mess
Insects
a swarm
J
Animal
Group name
Jackals
a pack
Jaguars
a prowl
Jays
a band
Jellyfish
a smack
K
Animal
Group name
Kangaroos
a mob
Kestrels
a hover
Kingfishers
a realm
Kittens
a litter
L
Animal
Group name
Ladybirds
a loveliness
Larks
an exaltation
Lemurs
a conspiracy
Leopards
a leap
Lions
a pride
Lizards
a lounge
Lobsters
a risk
Locusts
a plague
M
Animal
Group name
Magpies
a tiding
Meerkats
a clan
Moose
a herd
Mosquitoes
a swarm
Moths
an eclipse
N
Animal
Group name
Narwhals
a pod
Newts
an armada
O
Animal
Group name
Octopuses
a consortium
Orangutans
a buffoonery
Ostriches
a flock
Otters
a bevy
Owls
a parliament
P
Animal
Group name
Penguins
a colony
Peregrines
a bazaar
Pheasants
a bouquet
Pigeons
a flock
Pigs
a herd
Pilchards
a shoal
Porcupines
a prickle
Puffins
a raft
Q
Animal
Group name
Quail
a covey
R
Animal
Group name
Rabbits
a colony
Raccoons
a gaze
Ravens
an unkindness
Rhinoceroses
a crash
S
Animal
Group name
Sharks
a school
Sheep
a flock
Skunks
a stench
Snakes
a den
Squirrels
a scurry
Starfish
a galaxy
Starlings
a murmuration
T
Animal
Group name
Tigers
a streak
Toads
a knot
Tortoises
a creep
U
Animal
Group name
Unicorns
a blessing
V
Animal
Group name
Vultures
a wake
W
Animal
Group name
Wolves
a pack
Y
Animal
Group name
Yaks
a herd
Z
Animal
Group name
Zebras
a herd
Common animal group names for pets
Pet owners are most likely to use a handful of these terms in ordinary conversation:
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Cats: a clowder. A group of young cats is commonly called a litter.
Dogs: a pack. This is especially natural when the dogs are moving or behaving as a social group.
Ferrets: a business.
Fish: a shoal. School is also widely used, particularly for fish moving together in a coordinated way.
Hamsters: a horde, although most pet owners would simply say “a group of hamsters.”
Hedgehogs: a prickle.
Parrots and other birds: a flock is the dependable general term when a more specific noun is not known.
Rabbits: a colony.
These labels do not change how animals should be housed. A collective noun describes language, not a recommendation to keep a particular number of animals together. Species, temperament, sex, health, and enclosure requirements matter far more when deciding whether pets can safely share space.
How reliable are unusual collective nouns?
Terms such as murder of crows, parliament of owls, conspiracy of lemurs, and business of ferrets are traditional English collective nouns. They are not scientific classifications, and they do not indicate a formal social structure recognized in zoology.
Several terms can be reasonable for the same animal. Fish, for example, may be described as a school or a shoal. A broad term such as flock, herd, or group is usually clearer than forcing an obscure expression into formal writing.
Terms that are often misunderstood
Is it “a dazzle of zebras”?
A dazzle of zebras is widely repeated online, but it is not a well-established standard term. A herd of zebras is the safer choice in ordinary, formal, or educational writing.
A flamboyance of flamingos is a popular colorful expression. A flock of flamingos or a stand of flamingos is more conventional.
Should the verb be singular or plural?
In American English, a collective noun is generally singular when the group is treated as one unit: The herd is moving toward the water. British English more readily uses a plural verb when the individual animals are being emphasized: The herd are spreading across the field. Either choice can be appropriate if it matches the variety of English and the meaning of the sentence.
The safest established term is a herd of zebras. “A dazzle of zebras” is popular but not a well-established standard expression.
Are animal group names scientific terms?
Usually, no. Collective nouns such as “murder,” “parliament,” and “business” are traditional English expressions rather than scientific classifications. Common terms such as “herd,” “flock,” and “colony” are useful descriptions, but they do not define an animal’s taxonomy or care needs.
The Bottom Line
English gives animal groups many memorable names, but the simplest term is often the best one. Use clowder for cats, pack for dogs, colony for rabbits, business for ferrets, and broad terms such as flock, herd, or group when clarity matters more than tradition.
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