
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 .
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 |
See also: ▶️ Group names for Insects | ▶️ Group terms for animals | 🔀 Names for groups of people…

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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…
For hummingbirds, I’d suggest ‘a melee of hummingbirds’
For pelicans, I’d suggest “flotilla”
Thanks Judith, checked and added.
A herd of cranes, watch of nightingales, covert of coots, wisp of snipe, covey of grouse…
Thanks C.H. I’ve added these collective nouns for birds to the list.
Any for cedar waxwings? I heard they sometimes eat until they can fly no more. Or they will keep passing a berry from waxwing to waxwing until one finally swallows it. Cute. How about a “gorge,” “stuff,” or “sharing” of waxwings, if no other term exists? This list is a delight to read.
Hi Angie, much to our surprise there are a couple of collective nouns for cedar waxwings: A museum or ear-full of cedar waxwings. Thanks to your comment we’ve added a new entry, it makes us happy you enjoyed the list.
But what about turkey vultures?
Thanks Marguerite, we’ve now added turkey vultures, which includes turkey vultures, turkey “Buzzards” and several other species.
What a fun read! I heard the term “collective noun” (never heard this) on Ellen Degeneres TV show. Thanks, great list! Now I will look at your collective nouns for people list.
Very Good