Perhaps the family of animals that seems to have attracted the most bizarre collective nouns is the Corvidaefamily of birds the crows and their relatives…ĮNGLISH CLASSES ONLINE Examples of groups of animalsĪ group of jackdaws is a train or a clattering presumably because of the raucous sound they make. Of course, a lot of these aren’t commonly used these days but they still exist in the language. Part of that fashion was to have specific words for groups of animals and then, because it was trendy, people got carried away and starting inventing collective nouns for animals no-one would want to hunt.Īnd that’s how it started… with books suggesting new names for groups of new animals: a caravan of camels, a skein of ducks, a business of flies, a murmuration of starlings, an exaltation of larks, etc. Just like computer nerds like to use language that the rest of us don’t understand, it was the same with hunting in 14 th and 15 thcentury England. Hunting was a popular pastime or sport and it became fashionable to use words and terms that were specific to hunting activities in other words, jargon! So, when did English speakers start taking words from different parts of English and applying them to groups of animals? Shrewdnessis a characteristic of a clever or wise person. A drayis a kind of truck or wagon used for transporting goods (especially beer). Surely, these are odd words to use?! They all have more common meanings. How about a pride of lions? Or a pod of dolphins? Maybe a dray of squirrels? And if you like primates, you’d probably enjoy a shrewdnessof apes. They don’t tend to have other meanings.īut…, when it comes to specific species and group of animals, we get a little more creative. These words – “shoal”, “flock”, “herd” – basically just mean a group or a collection of that type of animal. They have a shoal of fish, a flock of birds, a herd of cattle and so on. Most languages have words that indicate a group of animals and English is no different. They say the English are an eccentric people and maybe the proof is in the English language because if there was ever an “ unconventional and slightly strange” language, surely it’s English?! Let me offer you an example: collective nouns for animals. If you’re heading out in late summer, you might even see some of this year's pups flying around.Collective Nouns for Groups of Animals in English On a bat walk you’ll have access to bat detectors which will help find and identify bats in the dark by listening in to their echolocation calls. Check out your local nature reserve, Wildlife Trust, or bat group to find a bat walk near you. Learn about your local batsĪ local bat group can help you learn a lot about the bats that might be living in your areas. Bats will be attracted to the insect banquet as well. Plants that flower in the evening, such as honeysuckle, night-scented stock or night-flowering catch-fly, all provide moths and other species with pollen. You can attract moths to your home by planting a night garden on your balcony or in your garden. Blackbirds also sing at night, especially near the glow of streetlights. You’ll most likely hear a nightingale before you see it. If there’s a bit of woodland nearby, you might be lucky enough to hear a nightingale, as they prefer to perch in tree thickets. Three ways to explore your local night life Catch a nightingale sonnet Find out how the light of cities and towns are affecting bat behaviour. At this time of year, however, bat behaviour is a little more chaotic.īats need the dark and have evolved to hunt and move in complete darkness. In late summer in August and September, you’ll see the most bats out and about, as all the new pups are exploring the world. The most common bat that you are likely to see, the common pipistrelle, are feeding their pups in June and July in very predictable shifts. You might see their rapid flight patterns silhouetted against the sky near trees or over water. Some of the earliest species to emerge are the common pipistrelle and noctule bats. If you wait in these places at dusk, you might be able to see a bat flying around, especially if there’s still a little light in the sky. They emerge after sunset and head to gardens, parks, rivers or canals to feed on insects. Bats can roost in a range of places including trees, caves, buildings and even in gaps in mortar in bridges.
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