Exploring Nature: Bird Words

Collective nouns are common in English, think of such assemblages as a flock of sheep, a den of thieves or a herd of cattle.

When it comes to birds, we use such terms as a murder of crows, a kettle of hawks and an exultation of larks. However, I recently came across some unusual collective names that are a bit on the frivolous side and sometimes involve puns. I present them for your perusal:

An alarm of bellbirds. A pie of blackbirds. A coward of chickens. A clock of cuckoos. A skinny of dippers and a conclave of cardinals.