List of English terms of venery, by animal
This is a list of English terms of venery (venery being an archaic word for hunting), comprising terms from a tradition that arose in the Late Middle Ages, at least partly from the Book of Saint Albans of 1486, a historic list of "company terms".

List of English terms of venery, by animal

Section Title:
Table Section Text: This is a list of English terms of venery (venery being an archaic word for hunting), comprising terms from a tradition that arose in the Late Middle Ages, at least partly from the Book of Saint Albans of 1486, a historic list of "company terms".

Subject	Collective noun	Notes	Sources

A

antelopes	herd

ants	army

colony

nest

swarm

apes	shrewdness

troop

asses	herd

drove	when driven in a group

pace or passe

B

baboons	troop

badgers	cete

bats	colony

bears	sleuth or sloth

beavers	colony

family

bees	swarm

drift

erst

grist

birds	flock

flight

pod

bitterns	sedge or sege

boars	sounder	12 or more

buffalo	herd

bullfinches	bellowing

bullocks	drove	when driven in a group

butterflies	swarm

flutter

kaleidoscope

C

capercaillie	tok

capons	mews

caribou	herd

cats	clowder

glaring

pounce

destruction	feral cats

cattle	mob	when driven in a group

chickens	clutch

cheetahs	coalition	males only

choughs	chattering or clattering

colts	rag

rake

cormorants	gulp

coots	covert

coyotes	pack

cranes	herd

sedge or sege

siege

crocodiles	bask

crows	murder, horde or wake (when feeding)

curlews	herd

D

deer	herd

parcel

dogs	pack

dolphins	pod

dotterel	trip

doves	dole or dule	fanciful

flight

ducks	badling or badelynge

paddling	on water

plump

raft	on water

dunlins	fling

E

eagles	convocation

eels	bed

elephants	herd

elk	gang

herd

F

falcons	cast

ferrets	business	corruption over time of 'busyness'

busyness

besyness fesynes fesnyng feamyng	ghost words arising from successive misspellings of "busyness"

finches	charm or chirm

fish	school

shoal

flamingoes	stand

flamboyance

colony

regiment

flies	business

foxes	leash

skulk

frogs	army

G

geese	flock	on land

gaggle	on land

skein	in flight

giraffes	herd

tower

gnats	cloud

horde

goats	flock

trip

goldfinches	charm

gorillas	band

goshawks	flight

grackles	plague

grasshoppers	cloud

grouse	covey

guineafowl	rasp

H

hawks	boil	two or more spiralling in flight

cast

kettle	flying in large numbers

lease

hens	brood

herons	sedge or sege

siege

hippopotamuses	bloat

hogs	parcel	See also boars, pigs, swine

hornets	nest

horses	team	in harness

haras or harrase

herd

string

stud

hounds	pack

hyenas	clan

I

ibex	herd

J

jackdaws	clattering

train

jays	party

scold

jellyfish	fluther

smack

K

kangaroos	mob

troop

kittens	kindle

litter

L

lapwings	deceit or desert

larks	bevy

exaltation

leopards	leap or lepe

lions	pride

sawt

locusts	plague

M

mackerel	shoal

magpies	charm

gulp

murder

tiding

mallards	sord

suit or sute

flush

mares	stud

martens	richesse or richness

mice	nest

minnows	shoal

moles	labor or labour

monkeys	barrel

troop

wilderness

moose	herd

mules	barren

span

N

nightingales	watch

O

octopus	rally

opossums	passel

owls	parliament

oxen	drove

team

yoke

oysters	bed

P

parrots	company

pandemonium

partridges	covey

peacocks	muster

ostentation

pride

pelicans	pod

penguins	colony

convent

tuxedo

pheasants	bouquet

head

nest

nide

nye

pigs	drift	See also boars, hogs, swine

drove

pigeons	kit	flying together

plovers	congregation

stand

wing

Q

quail	bevy

covey

drift

R

rabbits	colony

nest

herd	domestic only

litter	young rabbits only

raccoons	gaze

rats	mischief

ravens	unkindness

rhinoceroses	crash

rooks	building

parliament

S

seals	pod

sea urchins	herd

seagull	squabble

sharks	shiver

sheep	flock

drove	when driven in a group

herd

hurtle

pack

sheldrake	dopping

snakes	bed

den

knot

nest

pit

snipes	walk

whisp or wisp

sparrows	host

spiders	cluster or clutter

squirrels	dray

scurry

starlings	chattering

murmuration

storks	mustering

phalanx	when migrating

swallows	flight

swans	bank	on the ground

bevy

flight

game

herd

wedge	in flight

swifts	flock

scream

swine	drift

T

teal	spring

tigers	ambush

streak

toads	knot

nest

trout	hover

turkeys	gang

rafter

turtles	bale

dole or dule

nest

turtle doves	dole or dule

pitying

V

vipers	nest

vultures	kettle	in flight

committee	while resting

wake	when feeding

W

walruses	herd

pod

waterfowl	bunch

knob	fewer than 30 (fanciful)

raft

weasels	colony

pack

whales	gam

herd

mob

pod

wigeons	company

trip

wildfowl	bunch

knob	fewer than 30 (fanciful)

plump

trip

wolves	pack

rout or route	when in movement

wombats	wisdom

woodcocks	fall

woodpeckers	descent

wrens	herd

Z

zebras	herd

dazzle

zeal

Sentence(s)

Collective nouns for rooks include building and parliament.

final_sentence: Collective nouns for rooks include building and parliament.