I was interested to read awhile ago that a group of butterflies is called a "kaleidoscope." Rather good mental imagery, don't you think? Then when I was writing about feral turkeys descending on the orchard area here at Struan Farm I learned that a group of turkeys is called a "rafter."
There are quite a few interesting terms that can be used in lieu of "mob," "bunch," "group," or "flock." Here are some that apply to different types of birds:
- An "exaltation" of larks
- A "charm" of finches
- A "deceit" of lapwings
- A "parliament" of owls
- A "dole" of doves
- A "descent" of woodpeckers
- An "unkindness" of ravens
- A "murder" of crows
- A "pitying" of turtledoves
- A "flamboyance" of flamingoes
You get the idea, but the list goes on. Many of these date back centuries and have fallen out of use. Good for crossword puzzles, "The Chase" and quiz nights, perhaps. By the way, the photograph above is one of nesting Elegant Terns taken by me at Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach, California many years ago now. Despite searching, I haven't been able to find that there's a special name for a group of Elegant Terns, or even Terns. But they look rather like punk rockers, don't they?
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