Gregariousness - Biological Instinct of collective survival

110 Terms of Gregariousness

What is the plural of cattle? Herd. Fish? School. Why do living organisms occur in groups and populations?  Here are collective terms to describe such natural grouping.    

Dr Abe V Rotor 

   

School of carp fish (Oscar) in a home aquarium, QC 

Flock of migratory birds moving down south to evade the 

winter in the northern region.  

  
Colony of ants  on the move, and nest atop a tree. (Hantik 
or green tree ant). Novaliches QC

 
Colony of bacteria (Streptococcus) 

A floating mass of kiapo (Pistia crassipes); a stand of tree saplings

 

A brood of tussock moth caterpillars; a horde of red fire ants (Solenopsis geminata) attacking a fallen bee.

  

A mass of nata bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) in making nata de coco; 

nodules of Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Rhizobium) on legume.   

 
A clump of bikal bamboo (Phylostachis) Tagaytay, and 
horsetail (Equisetum) Mt Makiling, Laguna.  

A community of squatters in Manila.  A congress of spiritual leaders. (UST Manila)

A carpet of epiphytes om acacia (Ateneo de Manila University QC); a grove of kamatchili (Pithecolobium dulce) across a farm road. Sagpat, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

A coalesce of galls in Erythrina tree caused by a parasitic wasp. 
A flush of mushrooms on a dead tree trunk. (St Paul University QC)

A pasture of plankton - phytoplankton and zooplankton - 

at the lighted (photic) zone of lakes and seas.    

Here is a long list of terms given to groups of animals and other organisms.

1. A COLONY of ants
2. An ARMY of ants
3. A STATE or SWARM of ants
4. A HERD of asses
5. A DROVE of asses.
6. A TROOP of baboons
7. A CONGRESS of baboons
8. A COLONY of bacteria
9. A CULTURE of bacteria
10. A BATTERY of barracudas
11. (A BATTERY of lawyers)
12. A SHOAL of bass
13. A COLONY of bats
14. A CLOUD of bats
15. A SLOTH or SLEUTH of bears
16. A COLONY of beavers
17. A FAMILY of beavers
18. A GRIST, HIVE, SWARM of bees
19. A CLUSTER or NEST of bees
20. A FLOCK or FLIGHT of birds.
21. A POD of birds (small flock)
22. A VOLARY of birds (in an aviary)
23. A BRACE (a pair of game birds or waterfowls)
24. A DROVE of bullocks
25. A KALEIDOSCOPE of butterflies
26. A FLUTTER of butterflies
27. A RAINBOW of butterflies
28. A CARAVAN, FLOCK or TRAIN of camels
29. An ARMY of caterpillars
30. A HERD, DROVE or DRIFT of cattle.
31. A MOB of cattle (US and Australia)
32. A POUNCE of cats
33. A KINDLE, LITTER OR INTRIGUE (for kittens)
34. A BROOD, FLOCK, RUN or PEEP of chicken
35. A CLUTCH OR CHATTERING of chicks
36. A HERD of cows
37. A KINE of cows (12 cows are a FLINK)
38. A PACK of coyotes
39. A TRAIN of coyotes
40. A BAND of coyotes
41. A ROUT of coyotes
42. A HERD, SIEGE or SEDGE* of cranes
43. A CAST of crabs
44. A CONGREGATION or NEST of crocodiles
45. A BASK or FLOAT of crocodiles.
46. A HOVER, MUSTER, or PARCEL of crows.
47. A MURDER of crows
48. A HORDE of crows
49. A PARLIAMENT of owls
50. A LITTER of cubs
51. A TROOP of dogfish
52. A PACK (wild dogs) or KENNEL of dogs
53. A LITTER of puppies
54. A FLIGHT or DOLE of doves
55. A TEAM, FLIGHT or FLOCK* of wild ducks in flight
56. A CONVOCATION of eagles
57. A CONGREGATION of eagles
58. An ARRAY of eels
59. A HERD or PARADE of elephants
60. A CRASH of elephants
61. A HERD of elks
62. A GANG of elks
63. A CHARM of finches
64. A SHOAL, DRAFT, NEST, SCHOOL of fish.
65. A RUN of fish in motion
66. A STAND of flamingos
67. A FLAMBOYANCE of flamingos
68. A CLOUD, HATCH or SWARM of flies
69. A SKULK of foxes
70. A CLOUD, TROOP or COMPANY of foxes
71. A GAGGLE or FLOCK of geese
72. A SKEIN, TEAM or WEDGE of geese (in the air)
73. A PLUMP of geese (on water)
74. A CLOUD OR HORDE of gnats
75. A FLOCK, HERD or TRIBE of goats
76. A TRIP of goats
77. A CLOUD of grasshoppers
78. A SWARM of locusts
79. A NEST of hornets
80. A SCATTERING, SEIGE or SEDGE* of herons
81. A CHARM of hummingbirds
82. A BEVY of larks
83. An EXALTATION of larks
84. An ASCENSION of larks
85. A PARTY or SCOLD of jays

86. A TROOP of lemurs
87. A SCOURGE of mosquitoes
88. A PACK or SPAN of mules
A cloud of bats 
89. A WATCH of nightingales
90. An ENCHANTMENT of nightingales
91. A TEAM or YOKE of oxen 
92. A DROVE or HERD of oxen 
93. A BED of oysters
94. A SQUADRON of pelicans
95. A FLOCK or FLIGHT of pigeons
96. A DROVE OR STRING of ponies.
97. A NURSERY of raccoons
98. A MURDER of ravens 
99. A CONSPIRACY of ravens 
100. A HERD, HAREM, TRIP or ROOKERY* of seals 

101. A DEN, BED, PIT or SLITHER of snakes.
102. A NEST or KNOT of snakes
103. A HOST of sparrows
104. A FLIGHT of swallows 
105. A BALLET of swans

106. An AMBUSH or STREAK* of tigers 
107. A COMMITTEE of vultures
108. A SCHOOL of whales
109. A HERD of whales
110. A ZEAL, HERD or DAZZLE of zebras

A rainbow of butterflies 

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Hint and Things Collective Nouns, Internet

 Wikipedia,