
Collective Nouns for Birds 🦉
List of Collective Nouns for Birds🦉Baby & Gender Names + Plurals
ADDucation’s list of collective nouns for birds also includes the individual baby names, males and females and plural for each bird species. Did you know the first list of collective nouns was published in The Book of St Albans
circa 1500 and it wasn’t definitive – it was based on folklore, humor and the whim of the publisher and it’s the same today.
- This list of collective nouns for birds was compiled by Joe Connor, last updated 04 Jun 2022.
ADDucation Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort collective nouns for birds. Reload page for original sort order. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. Reload page for original sort order. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. Click the ➕ icon to reveal any hidden columns. Start typing in the Filter table box to find specific bird terms inside the table of collective nouns for birds and poultry.
Birds | Offspring called? | Collective Nouns for Birds | Male | Female | Bird plurals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Generic Bird 🐦 | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A flock of birds, a flight of birds (in the air). | cock | hen | Birds |
Cedar Waxwing | chick |
|
cock | hen | Cedar waxwings |
Chicken 🐔 | chick, pullet (young hen), cockerel (young rooster). |
|
rooster | hen | Chickens |
Crane, Sandhill crane |
fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. |
|
roan? | mare? | Cranes |
Coot | Chick | A covert of coots, a cover of coots. | cock | hen | Coots |
Crow | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A muster of crows, a murder of crows. | cock | hen | Crows |
Cuckoo | chick |
|
male | female | Cuckoos |
Dove 🕊 | squab, chick. |
|
cock | hen | Doves |
Duck🦆 | duckling |
|
drake | duck | Ducks |
Mallard / Duck | duckling | A sord of mallards. | drake | duck | Mallard or Mallards. |
Eagle 🦅 | eaglet, fledgling. |
|
tiercel | hen | Eagles |
Emu | chick, hatchling. | A mob of emus. | cock | hen | Emus |
Finch | chick |
|
cock | hen | Finches |
Flamingo | chick | A flamboyance of flamingos, a stand of flamingoes. | male | female | Flamingos or flamingoes. |
Goose | gosling |
|
gander | goose | Geese |
Grouse | Chick | A covey of grouse, a pack of grouse. | cock | hen | Grouse or grouses |
Hawk | eyas | A cast or kettle of hawks, aerie of hawks. | tiercel | hen | Hawks |
Heron | chick | A sedge, scattering or siege of herons. | cock | hen | Herons |
Lark | chick | An ascension or exultation of larks. | cock | hen | Larks |
Magpie | chick |
|
cock | hen | Magpies |
Nightingale | chick | A watch of nightingales. | cock | hen | Nightingales |
Owl🦉 | owlet, fledgling. |
|
male | female | Owls |
Parrot 🦜 | chick |
|
cock | hen | Parrots |
Partridge | cheeper | A covey of partridges. | cock | chantelle, hen | Partridge or partridges |
Peafowl | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A muster, pride or ostentation of peafowl. An ostentation of peacocks. | peacock | peahen | Peafowl |
Pelican | chick, toddler. |
|
cock | hen | Pelicans |
Penguin | chick |
A group of penguins in water is called a raft of penguins. 20 January is Penguin Awareness Day #PenguinAwarenessDay. |
male | female | Penguins |
Pheasant | chick |
|
cock | hen | Pheasant or pheasants |
Pigeon | squab, squeaker. | A flock, kit or flight of pigeons. | cock | hen | Pigeons |
Plover | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A wing or congregation of plovers. | Plovers | ||
Quail | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A covey, drift or bevy of quail. | cock | hen | Quail or quails |
Raven | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. |
|
cock | hen | Ravens |
Rook | chick |
|
Rooks | ||
Sandpiper | hatchling, chick. |
|
cock | ree | Sandpipers |
Snipe | Chick | A walk of snipe, a wisp of snipes. | cock | hen | Snipe or snipes |
Sparrow | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. |
|
cock | hen | Sparrows |
Starling | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A murmuration of starlings, a cloud of starlings. | Starlings | ||
Stork | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A mustering of storks, a phalanx of storks (when migrating). | Storks | ||
Swan 🦢 | cygnet, flapper. |
|
cob | pen | Swans |
Swift | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick. | A flock of swifts. | Swifts | ||
Turkey 🦃 | chick, poult. | A raffle or rafter of turkeys, a gang of turkeys. | tom or gobbler (adult male),jake (juvenile male. | hen or jenny | Turkeys |
Turtle dove | hatchling, chick. | A pitying or dole/dule of turtle doves. | Turtle Doves | ||
Vulture |
chick | A committee, volt or venue of vultures (on the ground), a kettle of vultures (when circling) and a wake of vultures (when feeding together). Includes Turkey Vultures often called “Buzzards” in the USA. | cock | hen | Vultures |
Woodcock | chick | A fall of woodcocks. | cock | hen | Woodcocks |
Woodpecker | chick | A descent of woodpeckers. | male | female | Woodpeckers |

Try our FREE online quizzes. Can you get on the leaderboard?
ADDucation Lists Related to Collective Nouns for Birds:
- Collective nouns for birds list in German: Sammelbegriffe für Tiere…
- Help improve ADDucation’s list of collective nouns for birds by adding your comments below…
Facinating to see the difference between imperial and Canada and Australia. I was aware of the most of US differences, but not cup sizes.missing from list are the beer barrel sizes, keg, pin, etc. you could add champagne bottle sizes. And note that 640 acres is 1 square mile.