When you go on an African safari, you’ll soon learn that there are some amazing collective nouns for African animals and birds. Here are some of our favourite ones for you to impress your fellow safari travellers with!

Mammals

A cackle of hyena
A leap of leopards
A dazzle of zebra
A pride of lion
A coalition of cheetah
A prickle of porcupine
An armoury of aardvarks
A pod of hippos
A crash of rhino
A memory of elephant
A whoop of gorillas
A business of mongoose
A barrel of monkeys
A cloud of bats
An obstinacy of buffalo
A journey of giraffe (for moving animals)
A tower of giraffe (when the giraffe are standing still)
A romp of otters

Birds

A mustering of storks
A parliament of owls
A flamboyance of flamingoes
A wake of vultures
A pride of ostriches
A descent of woodpeckers
A fling of oxpeckers
A gaggle of geese
A confusion of guinea fowl
A convocation of eagles
A hedge of herons
A pod of pelicans

Reptiles

A creep of tortoises
A mess of iguanas
A bask of crocodiles
A quiver of cobras
A lounge of lizards

Insects

A plague of locusts
A scourge of mosquito
A cluster of spiders
A brood of termites

Trees

A dance of leadwood
A stillness of baobab