By Pam Teel
Collective nouns are nouns that refer to groups of people, objects or animals. Some we are very familiar with, but others we might just have to scratch our heads a bit and tax the brain. Below are a few collective nouns for animals. Let’s just see how smart you are. Would love to hear from anyone who gets these all right!!!
An interesting note- many of these terms originated,or at least, were recorded in a 1486 book called, “The Book of hawking, Hunting, Blasing of arms” by a woman named Julia Berners. Ms. Berners was thought to be the first woman published in the English language!
The answers are at the end. We’ll start out with some easy well- known ones, but be warned, they do get tougher! Have Fun and NO CHEATING! See how many you can get without looking!
1. A _______ of birds
2. A _______ of geese
3. An ______ of frogs
4. A_______ of sheep. When driven as a group they are known as a drive or drove of sheep.
5. A group of owls are known as a _____
6. A ______ of flamingo’s
7. A ______ of bears
8. A party of polar bears is called a ____
9. A group of pandas are known as an _______
10. We call them buffalo, but the correct name for them is bison. We say a herd of bison, but the other collective noun for them is an _________
11. A _____ of zebra. Also known as a dazzle of zebra
12. An ____ of aardvarks
13. A group of wildebeests are referred to as______
14. A _____ of hippos. They don’t actually float but they can nap underwater. One of the deadliest mammals on earth!
15. A group of cuddly kittens born to the same mother is caller a ______
16. An assembly of unrelated kittens is called a ________. Also referred to as a kindle
17. A ______ of insects
18. A ______ of fish. Also referred to as a ______ of fish
19. A _____ of apes
20. A _____ of bats. Also referred to as a company of bats.
21. A _____ of beavers. Also commonly called a colony of beavers.
22. A _____ of chipmunks
23. A _____ of cobra’s
24. A _____of cows. 12 cows together are called a __________
25. A _____ of coyotes
26. A _____ of dogs
27. A _____ of elks
28. A _____of giraffes
29. A _____ of kangaroos. Also known as a troop.
30. A _____ of otters
31. A _____ of squirrels
32. A _____ of wolves
33. Gathering of peacocks is called an ______
Answers: 1. flock 2. gaggle 3. army 4. herd 5. parliament 6. flamboyance 7. sloth or sleuth 8. celebration 9. embarrassment 10. obstinacy 11. zeal 12. armory 13. confusion 14. bloat 15. litter 16. clowder of cats 17. swarm 18. shoal or school 19. troop 20. colony 21. lodge 22. scurry 23. quiver 24. drift,flink 25. band 26. pack 27. gang 28. tower 29. mob 30. romp 31. dray 32. pack 33. ostentation