Items37The creator’s order
  1. 1A Murder of CrowsA Murder of Crows“Murder” is the lurid nickname for a group of crows. Birders usually call a gathering a flock or, when the birds come together to spend the night, a roost. These crows gathered at an evening roost in Massachusetts.0
  2. 2A Murmuration of StarlingsA Murmuration of StarlingsThe 1486 Book of Saint Albans used a form of “murmuration” for a group of starlings. The word also evokes the low sounds a flock makes. Today it often describes the shape-shifting flight of a big flock before it settles to roost.0
  3. 3A Flamboyance of FlamingosA Flamboyance of FlamingosThe Smithsonian’s National Zoo uses “flamboyance” for a group of flamingos. A crowd of the American flamingos pictured here shows why the name has stuck in zoo writing. Their pink and orange pigments come from food.0
  4. 4A Pride of LionsA Pride of LionsThe Book of Saint Albans printed a version of “pride of lions” in 1486. The word still names an actual social group. Related females and their young form its core, and the pride also has one or more adult males.0
  5. 5A Business of FerretsA Business of FerretsAn old form of “business of ferrets” appears in the 1486 list of animal companies. The pairing turns a few inquisitive animals into something that sounds like an enterprise. It survives as a traditional expression.0
  6. 6An Unkindness of RavensAn Unkindness of RavensThe Book of Saint Albans put “unkindness” with ravens. That pairing is historical, and the reason for it is harder to prove. The two common ravens pictured are preening each other, a useful counterpoint to the nickname.0
  7. 7A Parliament of OwlsA Parliament of Owls“Parliament” is a literary nickname for a group of owls. Birders usually use “flock” or describe a family. Audubon records another whimsical term, a “stare,” which makes sense when those eyes face the same way.0
  8. 8A Dazzle of ZebrasA Dazzle of Zebras“Dazzle” is a playful alternative to “herd” for a group of zebras. The black-and-white stripes are what make the word fit. Look how hard it is to separate the outlines of the animals in the photograph.0
  9. 9A Tower of GiraffesA Tower of GiraffesZoos use “tower” for a group of giraffes. It’s easy to see why when several long necks rise together. The animals also form loose herds whose membership can change as individuals come and go.0
  10. 10A Bloat of HipposA Bloat of HipposThe Cincinnati Zoo calls its group of common hippos a “bloat.” The nickname also suits wild hippos crowded together in a river pool. The animals commonly spend much of the day in water and come out to feed on land.0