flock of herons???

JTHphoto · Jan 13, 2006

I was driving to work this morning and i saw a whole "flock" of blue herons flying north... i say "flock" because i don't know what the word is, i've never seen more than one at a time, i didn't realize they were a social bird, but there was like 10-12 flying in a formation of sorts... i've seen lots of photos of these guys on here too, i was just wondering if anyone has seen more than 1 or 2 hanging out together...

and why does every animal have to have a different name when it gets into a group... who decided this...

pack of dogs,
herd of elephants,
pride of lions,
covey of quail,
flock of turkeys....

i'm bored, there is nothing to do at work except sell (and by sell i mean drive around all day getting rejected) :meh:

'Daniel' · Jan 13, 2006

A University of Owls

A Murder of Crows are two good ones.

jocose · Jan 13, 2006

are dolphins and whales pods? and school of fish

aprilraven · Jan 13, 2006

we always use the terms " whole passel of" or "a crop of" if you dont know what to call them....

herd of turtles...
a whack of insects...( dont think its the technical term...)
mess of fish...

JTHphoto · Jan 13, 2006

aprilraven said:
we always use the terms " whole passel of" or "a crop of" if you dont know what to call them....

herd of turtles...
a whack of insects...( dont think its the technical term...)
mess of fish...

yeah, i was thinking there was a ****load of 'em, but that's not exactly a scientific term either :lol:

i was thinking passel was actually for a specific animal, but can't remember... isn't troupe or troop for something too...

swarm of bees

jcharcalla · Jan 13, 2006

What about a gaggle of geese.

Anyway I've only ever seen them one at a time, well sometimes 2 but there never very close to each other. We have one that likes wipe out all the fish in our pond here at work. They ussually put up a decoy to scare it away.

Rob · Jan 13, 2006

Asses: herd or pace of assess Badgerscete of badgers
Bears: sloth or sleuth of bears
Bees: hive of bees; a swarm, drift,
or bike of bees
Birds: flock, flight, (dial.) parcel, pod, fleet, or dissimulation of
(small) birds; a volary of birdsin an aviary

Boar: sounder of wild boar
Boys: blush of boys
Buffalo: herd or gang of buffalo
Cats: clowder or glaring of cats; adowt (= ?do-out) or destructionof wild cats
Cattle: herd, drove, (dial.), or (US & Austral.) mob of cattle

Chickens: brood, (dial.) cletch or clutch, or peep of chickens
Choughs: chattering or clattering of choughs
Cobblers: drunkship of cobblers
Colts: rag or rake of colts Cookshastiness of cooks
Coots: covert of coots
Cranes: herd of cranes

Cubs: litter of cubs
Curlew: herd of curlew
Curs: cowardice of curs
Deer: herd or mob of deer
Dogs: pack or kennel of dogs Dottereltrip of dotterel
Dovesflight, dole, or piteousness of doves

Ducks: raft, bunch, or paddling of ducks on water; a team of wild ducks
in flight
Dunlins: fling of dunlins
Elephants: herd of elephants
Elk: herd or (US) gang of elk Ferretsbusiness of ferrets Finchescharm or chirm of finches
Fish: shoal of fish; a run of fish in motion
Flies: cloud of flies

Foresters: stalk of foresters
Foxes: skulk of foxes
Geese: gaggle or (in the air) a skein, team, or wedge of geese
Giraffes: herd of giraffes
Goats: flock, herd, or (dial.) trip of goats
Grouse: pack or covey of grouse Hareshusk or down of hares

Hawks: cast of hawks let fly
Hermits: observance of hermits
Herons: siege of herons
Horses: stud or haras of (breeding) horses; (dial.) a team of horses
Hounds: kennel, pack, cry or mute of hounds
Insects: flight or swarm of insects

Kangaroos: mob or troop of kangaroos
Kittens: kindle of kittens
Ladies: bevy of ladies
Lapwing: desert of lapwing
Larks: exaltation or bevy of larks
Leopards: leap of leopards

Lions: pride of lions
Magpies: tiding of magpies
Mallard: sord or sute (= suit) of mallard
Martens: richesse of martens
Merchants: faith of merchants
Moles: abour of moles

Monkeys: roop of monkeys
Mules: barren of mules
Nightingales: watch of nightingales
Nuns: superfluity of nuns
Partridges: covey of partridges
Peacocks: muster of peacocks

Pedlars: malapertness (= impertinence) of pedlars
Penguins: rookery of penguins
Pheasants: head or (dial.) nye of pheasants
Pigeons: kit of pigeons flying together
Pigs: herd of pigs
Plovers: stand, wing, or congregation of plovers

Pochards: rush or flight of pochards
Porpoises: herd, pod, or school of porpoises
Prisoners: pity of prisoners
Ptarmigan: covey of ptarmigan
Pups; litter of pups
Quail: bevy or drift of quail

Racehorses: string of racehorses
Ravens: unkindness of ravens
Roes: bevy of roes
Rooks: parliament or building of rooks
Ruffs: hill of ruffs
Seals: herd or rookery of seals; a pod of seals

Sheep: flock, herd, (dial.) drift or trip, or (Austral.) mob of sheep
Sheldrake: dopping of sheldrake
Snipe: wisp or walk of snipe
Sparrows: host of sparrows
Starlings: murmuration of starlings
Swallows: flight of swallows

Swans: game or herd of swans; a wedge of swans in the air
Swine: herd of swine; a sounder of tame swine, a drift of wild swine
Taverner: glozing (= fawning) of taverners
Teal: spring of teal
Waterfowl: bunch or knob of waterfowl
Whales: school, herd, or gam of whales; a pod of whales; a grind of bottle-nosed whales

Widgeon: company or trip of widgeon
Wildfowl: bunch, trip, or plump of wildfowl; a know (less than 30) of wildfowl
Wolves: pack or rout of wolves
Women: gaggle of women
Woodcock: fall of woodcock
Wrens: herd of wrens