Animal reference
Animal Group Names
A pride of lions, a murder of crows, a parliament of owls — the collective noun for every animal, in one table.
In brief
A group of animals often has its own special name, called a collective noun: a group of lions is a pride, a group of crows is a murder, a group of wolves is a pack, and a group of owls is a parliament. This table lists the collective nouns for 50 common animals.
| Animal | A group is called |
|---|---|
| Bat | A colony |
| Bear | A sloth |
| Cheetah | A coalition |
| Chimpanzee | A troop |
| Crocodile | A bask |
| Crow | A murder |
| Deer | A herd |
| Dolphin | A pod |
| Donkey | A herd |
| Eagle | A convocation |
| Elephant | A herd |
| Ferret | A business |
| Fox | A skulk |
| Frog | A army |
| Giant panda | A embarrassment |
| Giraffe | A tower |
| Goose | A gaggle |
| Gorilla | A troop |
| Grey wolf | A pack |
| Hamster | A horde |
| Hare | A drove |
| Hedgehog | A array |
| Hippopotamus | A bloat |
| Horse | A herd |
| Jaguar | A prowl |
| Kangaroo | A mob |
| Koala | A colony |
| Leopard | A leap |
| Lion | A pride |
| Octopus | A consortium |
| Orangutan | A troop |
| Otter | A romp |
| Owl | A parliament |
| Pangolin | A colony |
| Peacock (peafowl) | A muster |
| Penguin | A colony |
| Rabbit | A colony |
| Raven | A unkindness |
| Rhinoceros | A crash |
| Sea lion | A colony |
| Sea turtle | A bale |
| Seahorse | A herd |
| Seal | A colony |
| Shark | A shiver |
| Sloth | A bed |
| Snake | A nest |
| Swan | A bevy |
| Tiger | A streak |
| Whale | A pod |
| Zebra | A dazzle |
Collective nouns: FAQs
What is a group of crows called?
A group of crows is called a murder. The name is a piece of old folklore; crows are in fact highly intelligent, social birds that gather in large communal roosts.
What is a group of lions called?
A group of lions is called a pride. A pride is typically made up of related females, their cubs and a small coalition of adult males, and is the only truly social big-cat group.
What is a group of wolves called?
A group of wolves is called a pack. A pack is usually a family unit — a breeding pair and their offspring of different years — that hunts and travels together.
What is a group of owls called?
A group of owls is called a parliament. Owls are mostly solitary, so the term is used more for its charm than because owls commonly gather.