Subject: Picturesque Terminology For Birders
Date: Jul 21 17:49:56 1999
From: William H. Lawrence - whl at localaccess.com


Several years ago, as some of you may recall, there occurred a moderately
long string re the "proper" terminology to use when referring to a Great
Blue Heron colony when full of nestling young herons. Was it a rookery, a
heronery or a just a nesting colony of GBH's?

As I recall rookery seemed to be the preferred term but the question was
raised herons are not rooks. The matter settled down after a scholarly
comment suggesting the term rookery was brought to this country from Britain
and (miss) applied to nesting colonies of large wading birds. The string
unraveled at this point. However, I have had a continuing interest in
collecting and applying terms of venery--- the adjective form is of course
venereal.

The venereal terms that follow are group of collective nouns used by
"Gentlemen/women" during medieval times to describe gatherings of various
wildlife species suitable for hunting. Learning the proper usage of these
special hunting terms was "to provide a gentleman with the means of social
acceptability, and to spare him the embarrassment of " some blunder at the
table" "... . Perchance the use of these time- honored terms would add more
picturesque language in reporting the gathering of birds. The list follows:

A BROOD OF HENS
A RUN OF POULTRY
A PEEP OF CHICKENS

A MURDER OF CROWS
AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS
A FALL OF WOODCOCK
A DULE OF DOVES
A TRUE LOVE OF TURTLEDOVES
A CHATTERING OF CHOUGHS
A SPRING OF TEAL
A SCHOOL OF PHEASENTS
A SPRING OF PARTRIDGE
AN OSTENTATION OF PEACOCKS-- 1st used in 1925
A HILL OF RUFFS
A PUDDLING OF DUCKS-- on water
A TEAM OF DUCKS-- flying
A COVER OF COOTS
A RAFTER OF TURKEYS
` A COVEY OF PARTRIDGE
A HOST OF SPARROWS
A DESCENT OF WOODPECKERS--in flight
A CAST OF HAWKS-- falconry term the launching of falcons
A LEASH OF MERLINS-- falconry term tethered merlins
A FLIGHT OF GOSHAWKS--falconry term allowing the hawk to fly when ready
A CONVOCATION OF EAGLES
A TIDING OF MAGPIES
A FLIGHT OF SWALLOWS
A MUTRATION OF THRUSHES -- thrushes were believed to accquire new
legs after
10 yrs.
A BUILDING OF ROOKS--a colony of rooks no mention of rookeries
perhaps a recent
term
A WATCH OF NIGHTINGALES
A CONGREGATION OF PLOVERS
A NYE OF PHEASENTS
A CHARM OF FINCHES
A PARTY OF JAYS
A DISSIMLATIONS OF BIRDS--the broken wing act to protect nest site
and/or young
A DECEIT OF LAPWINGS
A SIEGE OF HERONS
A MUSTERING OF STORKS
A DOPPING OF SHELDRAKES--sudden disappearance under water when disturbed
A WEDGE OF SWANS
A HERD OF CRANES
A HERD OF WRENS
A COLONY OF PENGUINS
A COMPANY OF PARROTS
A HERD OFCURLEWS
A WALK OF SNIPE
AN EXALTATION OF LARKS

For those of you interested in the terms applying to other forms of wildlife
including humans check a copy of "AN EXALTATION OF LARKS" The Ultimate
Edition by James Lipton, 1991. A penguin paperback.

Explanatory notes accompanying the terms venery are a delight to read. Bill