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Birds of a Feather

From an exaltation of larks to a murder of crows, discover the curious names bestowed upon our feathered companions.

  • A dissimulation of birdsSource: Book of St. Albans; Lipton 1977
  • A siege of bitternsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a chain of bobolinksSource: Lipton 1977
  • a wake of buzzardsSource: Lipton 1977
  • a peep of chickensSource: Lipton 1977
  • A clattering of choughsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a cover of cootsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A covert of cootsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a gulp of cormorantsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A herd of cranesSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a murder of crowsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A herd of curlewsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a dule of dovesSource: Lipton 1977
  • A flight of dovesSource: Book of St. Albans
  • A badling of ducksSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a paddling of ducksSource: Lipton 1977
  • a charm of finchesSource: Lipton 1977
  • a stand of flamingoesSource: Lipton 1977
  • A gaggle of geeseSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a gaggle of geese (on water)Source: Lipton 1977
  • a skein of geese (in flight)Source: Lipton 1977
  • A charm of goldfinchesSource: Book of St. Albans
  • A flight of goshawksSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a cast of hawksSource: Lipton 1977
  • A cast of hawks of the tower (two)Source: Book of St. Albans
  • A leash of the same hawks (three)Source: Book of St. Albans
  • a brood of hensSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • A siege of heronsSource: Book of St. Albans; Lipton 1977
  • a party of jaysSource: Lipton 1977
  • a scold of jaysSource: Lipton 1977
  • a deceit of lapwingsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A desert of lapwingsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • An exaltation of larksSource: Book of St. Albans; Lipton 1977
  • a tidings of magpiesSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • a sord of mallardsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A sorde or suite of mallardsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a watch of nightingalesSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • a parliament of owlsSource: Lipton 1977
  • a company of parrotsSource: Lipton 1977
  • a covey of partridgesSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • A muster of peacocksSource: Book of St. Albans
  • an ostentation of peacocksSource: Lipton 1977
  • a colony of penguinsSource: Lipton 1977
  • a bouquet of pheasantsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A nye of pheasantsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • A congregation of ploversSource: Book of St. Albans; Lipton 1977
  • A bevy of quailsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • an unkindness of ravensSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • a building of rooksSource: Lipton 1977
  • a walk of snipeSource: Lipton 1977
  • A walk of snipesSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a host of sparrowsSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • a murmuration of starlingsSource: Lipton 1977
  • a mustering of storksSource: Lipton 1977
  • a flight of swallowsSource: Lipton 1977
  • A herd of swansSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a wedge of swansSource: Lipton 1977
  • a spring of tealSource: Lipton 1977
  • A spring of tealsSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a rafter of turkeysSource: Lipton 1977
  • A duel of turtledovesSource: Book of St. Albans
  • a pitying of turtledovesSource: Lipton 1977
  • a fall of woodcocksSource: Lipton 1977; Book of St. Albans
  • a descent of woodpeckersSource: Lipton 1977
  • A herd of wrensSource: Book of St. Albans

About this collection

These expressions come from the collection’s records labelled Lipton 1977 and Book of St. Albans. They include historical and fanciful group names. Source labels are preserved; individual usage histories have not been assessed. Favorites are saved only in this browser.

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