Eco Explorers

a flock

of sheep (Sheep)

A flock keeps close together for safety — when one sheep wanders off, the whole flock often follows.

a gaggle

of geese (Goose)

On the ground they are a noisy 'gaggle' — but up in the sky in a V-shape they become 'a skein'!

a pride

of lions (Lion)

Lions are the only big cats that live in a family group, so they get the proudest name of all.

a pack

of wolves (Wolf)

A wolf 'pack' is really just a family — a mother, a father and their growing cubs.

a swarm

of honeybees (Honeybee)

A 'swarm' is bees on the move, looking for a new home, all buzzing together in one great cloud.

an army

of frogs (Frog)

On damp spring nights, frogs march to the very same pond to lay their eggs — a tiny hopping army!

a shoal

of minnows (Minnow)

Hundreds of minnows swim in a 'shoal', twisting and turning together to confuse hungry fish.

a murder

of crows (Crow)

Nobody is quite sure why a group of crows is called 'a murder' — perhaps it is their inky feathers and loud caw.

a cete

of badgers (Badger)

Say it 'seet'. Badgers that share one underground home (a sett) make a 'cete' — a very old word indeed.

a murmuration

of starlings (Starling)

Thousands of starlings swirl through the evening sky in a 'murmuration', rippling like smoke.

a parliament

of rooks (Rook)

Rooks nest noisily in the treetops — people thought they looked like a 'parliament' holding a very loud meeting.

an exaltation

of skylarks (Skylark)

'Exaltation' means lifting up with joy — the perfect word for skylarks climbing into the sky as they sing.

a loveliness

of ladybirds (Ladybird)

When ladybirds huddle together to sleep through the winter, we call them 'a loveliness' — isn't that lovely?

a smack

of jellyfish (Jellyfish)

A big group of jellyfish is a 'smack' — perhaps from the slap of their sting! Scientists call it 'a bloom'.