Most of us have heard of animal groups such as “a parliament of owls”, “a murder of crows”, or “an army of ants”. These are classics that we meet in day-to-day life, or perhaps even some choice poetry. They’re beautiful expressions that vary from group to group, depicting their relationships or perhaps their most prized trait.
These have become a symbol for lyrical works of art, such as songs, poetry, and several others. The parliament describes the wisdom of the owls, the murder denotes the possible meaning of death precursors in the form of crows and many others. However, these are just some of the classics. There are many, many more animal groups that you likely did not know, and here are some of them from A to Z.
A Congregation of Alligators
The symbolism behind this choice of words is all in togetherness. Alligators naturally emit low vibrations through the water when trying to find the right mate. Such as them, this name talks about using everything we have for the purpose of gathering all the right people around us.
A Shrewdness of Apes
A symbol of the animal’s ingenuity, they band together to find the best way to survive, whether that means brute force or gentle strength.
A Pace of Asses
A slow, methodical, and enduring animal, who may not be the fastest, but it’s certainly one of the most reliable.
A Troop of Baboons
A herd animal who lives, hunts, and attacks together with his pack.
A Cete of Badgers
Possibly a Latin derivation from the word “coetus” or “coire”, which means to come together.
A Battery of Barracudas
A commonly used collective noun that quite possibly started with the dangerous predators of the waters.
A Cloud of Bats
Quite an easy interpretation would speak about this animals group habits of flying together, banding across the skies like a dark cloud looming over.
A Sloth of Bears
This may sound like a group of bears would be notoriously slow and lazy, but that’s probably only a reference to their hibernation habits. They do sleep for quite a while, but they’re certainly not slow.
A Family of Beavers
A very friendly way to address a group of these log-eater who have shown exceptional teamwork and have become a symbol of the prime construction crew.
A Brood of Chicks
There are numerous names for birds, and they do seem to vary, depending on their age and environment. A brood of chicks are the clear symbol of the tight group they walk in while following their mother closely.
A Flight of Birds
Available for avian birds who grace the skies.
A Volery of Birds
It’s the collective nouns for game birds, though it’s highly unknown and rarely used. Most would certainly opt for the simple “flock”. That would be wrong though.
A Flock of Birds
And there we have it. The right collective known for birds who dwell on the ground, sometimes also known as a “dissimulation of birds”. According to the rules, you’ve likely been using the word “flock of birds” wrong for years.
A Wreck of Birds
There’s one more, this in particular for a group of seabirds that dwell around the waters. They often appear around wreckage and seeing diving into the water, bolding finding prey around the surface.
A Sute of Bloodhounds
It’s not a pack of hunting dogs that you see hunters take with them. It’s a sute.
A Gang of Buffalos
Or otherwise called an obstinacy of buffalos, a symbol of their stubbornness and violent clashes.
A Flutter of Butterflies
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That’s right, it’s not just a simple group, but these beautiful insects do have their more artistic name.
A Caravan of Camels
Likely an easy guess, a representation of the animals main usage, helping people crossing the arid deserts and moving their caravans due to their exceptional water supply.
A Pounce of Cats
There are several collective nouns that would work for the internet’s favorite animals. It would also be accurate to say a dout of cats, a nuisance of cats, a glorying, a glare, or, the more common one, a clowder.
An Intrigue of Kittens
The tiny little baby cats have their own category. Apparently, they have not become a “nuisance of cats” yet.
A Destruction of Wildcats
Perhaps an expected name, considering the true potential hiding behind those claws and undomesticated behavior.
There are many, many more interesting collective nouns out there, all with hidden meanings, clear purposes, or downright confusing connotations. However, it’s interesting to see how many of us have been wrong for a long time.
Part two of the list is available if you want to check it out!