Home>>Knowledge>>News

Fun Collective Nouns for Animals: From a Bloom of Jellyfish to a Charm of Finches

2025-11-21 11:50:36 3

In English, we don’t just say “a group of animals.”
We say a bloom of jellyfish, a charm of finches, a murder of crows, a parliament of owls, and many more wonderfully poetic expressions. Treehugger+1

If you searched for “bloom group of animals” or “charm group of animals”, you’re probably trying to answer questions like:

  • What animal group is called a “bloom”?

  • What animal group is called a “charm”?

  • Where can I find an easy-to-use list of fun animal group names?

This page gives you:

  • A clear explanation of bloom of jellyfish and charm of finches

  • An A–Z list of popular animal collective nouns

  • Short example sentences and notes for teachers, learners and content creators

Use it as a vocabulary reference, a teaching tool, or simply as a bit of word-lover fun.

task_01kaj98kccf439gefc0bkwhmyz_1763697922_img_0 (1).webp


1. What Animal Group Is Called a “Bloom”?

1.1 Bloom of Jellyfish

The most common answer to “bloom group of animals” is:

A bloom of jellyfish = a group or large population of jellyfish. 深智+2homework.study.com+2

In marine biology and everyday English, “jellyfish bloom” or “bloom of jellyfish” often refers to a sudden increase in jellyfish numbers in a particular area — like a floating, living explosion of jellyfish in the water. Aquarium Whisperer+1

Other less common collective nouns for jellyfish include:

But if you only remember one, bloom of jellyfish is the star.

Example sentence:

Last summer, divers reported a massive bloom of jellyfish near the coast.


2. What Animal Group Is Called a “Charm”?

2.1 Charm of Finches

The most standard answer to “charm group of animals” is:

A charm of finches = a group of finches (small, colorful songbirds). Palomar Audubon+3Bird Spot | The Place For Birds+3语法怪兽+3

Bird guides and collective noun lists commonly list “a charm of finches” (and sometimes a charm of goldfinches or even a charm of hummingbirds). The Bird House+2Palomar Audubon+2

Other possible collective nouns for finches include:

But again, charm of finches is the one most learners and teachers focus on.

Example sentence:

Every morning, a charm of finches gathers around the bird feeder in our garden.


3. Quick Reference: Collective Nouns for Animals (Mini List)

Before we dive into a bigger A–Z list, here’s a quick mini-reference you can use to answer the most common questions:

We’ll expand on many of these in the sections below.


4. Fun Collective Nouns for Animals (A–Z Style List)

You can turn the following into a table with three columns:

Animal | Collective noun(s) | Example sentence

Here we keep it as simple sections for easy copy–paste.


Birds

Crows – a murder of crows

A group of crows is famously called a murder of crows. Ornitheology+2Treehugger+2

We watched a murder of crows circling above the empty field.


Owls – a parliament of owls

A group of owls is sometimes called a parliament of owls, reflecting their association with wisdom and serious meetings. Backyard Chirper+3Ornitheology+3The Marginalian+3

At dusk, a parliament of owls gathered in the tall trees.


Finches – a charm of finches

As noted, a group of finches is called a charm of finches. Bird Spot | The Place For Birds+2语法怪兽+2

A charm of finches brightened the hedgerow with their songs.


Flamingos – a flamboyance of flamingos

A brightly colored group of flamingos can be called a flamboyance of flamingos. Bird Spot | The Place For Birds+2The Bird House+2

Tourists stopped to photograph a flamboyance of flamingos in the lagoon.


Geese – a gaggle of geese

On the ground, a group of geese is often called a gaggle of geese; in flight, you might hear a skein of geese. Treehugger+1

A noisy gaggle of geese blocked the country road.


Ducks – a raft or paddling of ducks

On water, a group of ducks can be called a raft of ducks or a paddling of ducks. Treehugger+1

We saw a raft of ducks drifting slowly across the pond.


Eagles – a convocation of eagles

Some lists use a convocation of eagles or an aerie of eagles. Treehugger+1

High on the cliffs, a convocation of eagles rode the wind currents.


Starlings – a murmuration of starlings

Those swirling flocks of starlings in the sky are often called a murmuration of starlings. Treehugger+1

We watched a murmuration of starlings paint patterns across the evening sky.


Mammals

Lions – a pride of lions

Probably one of the best-known collective nouns: a pride of lions. Treehugger+1

A pride of lions rested lazily under the acacia tree.


Bears – a sleuth of bears

A group of bears may be called a sleuth of bears. Facebook+1

Hikers spotted a sleuth of bears moving through the forest.


Giraffes – a tower of giraffes

When they’re standing still, a group of giraffes is wonderfully called a tower of giraffes. Treehugger+1

On the savannah, we saw a tower of giraffes silhouetted against the sky.


dolphins.html">Dolphins – a pod of dolphins

Marine mammals such as dolphins often gather in a pod of dolphins. Treehugger+1

A pod of dolphins followed our boat, leaping through the waves.


Whales – a pod of whales

Similarly, whales are commonly said to form a pod of whales, though other terms like a school or a gam also appear in some lists. Treehugger+1

Whale-watchers were thrilled to see a pod of whales near the surface.


Elephants – a herd of Elephants-Are-Endangered.html">elephants

For Elephants-Are-Endangered.html">elephants, you’ll most often see a herd of elephants.

A herd of elephants crossed the dusty road in front of our jeep.


Wolves – a pack of wolves

Carnivores like wolves commonly gather in a pack of wolves. Treehugger

We heard a pack of wolves howling in the distance.


Sea Animals

Jellyfish – a bloom of jellyfish

As discussed, a bloom of jellyfish is the best-known collective noun for jellyfish, especially in the context of sudden large gatherings. 深智+2Aquarium Whisperer+2

The harbor was filled with a glowing bloom of jellyfish.

Other options: a smack, a swarm, a fluther of jellyfish. ANIMALS AND ENGLISH+2Facebook+2


Fish – a school or a shoal of fish

Fish usually form a school of fish (AmE) or a shoal of fish (BrE).

A shimmering school of fish flashed past the coral reef.


Sharks – a shiver of sharks

Some playful lists use a shiver of sharks. Treehugger+1

Divers nervously watched a shiver of sharks circling below.


Insects & Others

Bees – a swarm of bees

A moving group of bees is called a swarm of bees.

A swarm of bees buzzed loudly around the hive.


Ants – an army of ants

You may see an army of ants marching across the ground. Treehugger+1

An army of ants carried crumbs back to their nest.


Frogs – an army of frogs

Some sources also list an army of frogs. Rainforest Expeditions+1

After the rain, an army of frogs sang from the wet grass.


Butterflies – a kaleidoscope of butterflies

A colorful group of butterflies can be called a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Treehugger+1

We walked through a kaleidoscope of butterflies in the garden.


5. Are These Collective Nouns “Real” or Just for Fun?

Many of these animal group names come from a long tradition of fancy, poetic collective nouns that date back to late medieval England, when people created elaborate terms for hunting, birds and animals. Gulf Coast Bird Observatory+3Ornitheology+3The Marginalian+3

Today:

  • Some terms (like a gaggle of geese or a school of fish) are used in everyday speech.

  • Others (like a murder of crows or a parliament of owls) are widely known and understood but still feel poetic. Ornitheology+2Treehugger+2

  • A few (like a kaleidoscope of butterflies or a shiver of sharks) are mainly used by word lovers, writers and trivia fans. Treehugger+2babbel.com+2

So, are they “real”?

  • Grammatically: yes – they are valid collective nouns.

  • In daily conversation: some are common, others are rare and mostly for fun.

For teaching and learning, they are still very useful because they:

  • make vocabulary more memorable,

  • connect language with animals and nature, and

  • add a bit of humor and imagination to English lessons.


6. How to Use This Page (Teachers, Learners, Creators)

6.1 For Teachers & ESL Activities

  • Print or copy the mini A–Z list and ask students to match:

    • animal → collective noun → example sentence

  • Make a classroom poster titled “A Bloom of Jellyfish, A Charm of Finches” with illustrations.

  • Let students invent new collective nouns for animals (for fun and creativity).

6.2 For English Learners

  • Choose 5–10 favourite animal group names and write your own sentences.

  • Try to remember especially:

    • a bloom of jellyfish

    • a charm of finches

    • a murder of crows

    • a parliament of owls

  • Use flashcards or a quiz app to test yourself.

6.3 For Writers, Bloggers & Content Creators

  • Use these expressions as attention-grabbing phrases in your titles and social posts.

    • e.g. “A Bloom of Jellyfish Appears on Our Coastline”

    • e.g. “How to Attract a Charm of Finches to Your Garden”

  • Combine them with strong visuals (photos, AI images or videos) to create shareable content.


With this fun collective nouns for animals guide, you now know exactly:

  • what “bloom group of animals” refers to (a bloom of jellyfish), and

  • what “charm group of animals” refers to (a charm of finches),

plus plenty of other poetic names like a murder of crows, a parliament of owls and a flamboyance of flamingos to explore and enjoy.


animal tags:

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a Animals Top editor.