GROUP NAMES! What a Bunch of….

Okay, so this is a little silly, as group names don’t really have a lot to do with the protection of a species, the education about their natural abilities, or what their role is in the ecosystem, but we HAD to share with you some of the best group names we have found for groups of wildlife! Some of these are actually pretty accurate if you think about it too! Wow your friends and family with these names, share a fun fact with your neighbor, tell your Uber driver. Whatever you do with this information, enjoy it!

So what do we call different groups of animals? 

Vultures - Kettle, Committee, and Wake

Our favorite out of this list is a Kettle - used only when they are soaring in circles on warm updrafts. A Kettle of vultures becomes a committee or a wake when they land in large numbers to bask in the sun, baking off the bacteria on their wings in the sun, or when they are feeding in large groups. 

Kettling Turkey Vultures

Crows vs Ravens - Murder vs. Unkindness

A group of Crows is called a Murder, while a group of ravens is called an Unkindness or Conspiracy! These names come from their propensity to be labeled as spooky creatures in scary stories, but really, both Crows and Ravens are great at keeping the peace! They are both very social birds, and both have complex community structures, mate for life, and have strong familial bonds – caring for their young and even bringing each other gifts! 

A Murder of Crows

An Unkindness of Ravens

Jellyfish - Smack

This one makes sense if you have ever run into a jellyfish while swimming. While they are mostly called blooms when there are too many of them in an area, we certainly think that Smack is a more descriptive term for how it feels to be stung by a jelly! The only animal ever happy to see a Smack is a sea turtle who would call that group a SNACK! (Get it? Because they eat jellyfish)

A SMACK of jellies!

Foxes - Skulk

In most literature, foxes are cunning, fierce, and sometimes cruel. If you have ever watched a fox go for a hunt, the idea of them skulking around makes a lot of sense. Foxes are incredibly smart when it comes to outsmarting their prey - even often outsmarting some humans around chicken coops. While this causes a lot of human/wildlife conflict, we do have to be impressed by their wily ways! 

A Skulk of Foxes Credit: James Hager/Robert Harding

Spoonbill -Bowl

OF COURSE a group name for a spoonbill had to be related to tableware. Calling a group of Spoonbill a Bowl was probably the cutest thing we had heard of, until we learned what baby spoon bills are called…TEASPOONS! You have to be kidding me! Spoonbills use their scoop-like beaks to churn up the mud and sand at the water's edge and scoop out all the tasty crustaceans that give them their bright pink color. When they’re all together, I guess it’s reminiscent of a cereal bowl, with all the birds scooping snacks together. I think we can all agree that this one wins the gold medal for group names. 

A bowl of Roseate Spoonbill

No matter what we call them, we love our flocks, our skulks, and our herds of wildlife at Oatland Island Wildlife Center. We hope you find your favorite group and create amazing memories with them on the trails!