60 Nebraskaland • May 2024
MIXED BAG
ANIMAL GROUP NAMES
By Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist
From "schools of catfish" to a "rhumba of rattlesnakes,"
the animal kingdom boasts a diversity of collective nouns
to describe groups of animals. These imaginative descriptors
not only enrich our understanding of Nebraska's wildlife but
also serve as linguistic snapshots that convey the essence of
their social lives.
A raft of ducks. ERIC FOWLER
A bale of turtles. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
A parliament of owls. JULIE GEISER
A murder of crows. ERIC FOWLER
A murmuration of starlings. JUSTIN HAAG
A kettle of hawks. GETTY IMAGES
A hover of trout fi ngerlings. JEFF KURRUS
