Syd,
The Dictionary of Birds lists a 'murder of crows' as an assembly name.
Alan Leishman,
Plant Sciences,
Royal Botanic Gardens,
Mrs Macquaries Road,
Sydney, NSW 2565
Tel: (02) 9231 8166
>>> "Syd Curtis" <> 08/10/00 06:42am >>>
Hello everyone,
Recently I was intrigued to notice a large number of crows
(>20) in a gum-tree (Eucalyptus sp.) near here. They were excitedly
'discussing' something of corvid importance.
I wondered whether there is an accepted collective noun in the English
language for a number of crows. You know, like a "merriment" of parsons.
(Not particularly apt, that: I recall reading years ago of an English social
services questionnaire which asked inter alia, "If faced with a 10%
reduction in income, where would you make cuts?" To which one gloomy parson
replied, "Across my throat!")
Trying to come up with a word for Crows, I thought that "a cawrus of crows"
might be appropriate. However on posing the question to a (retired)
librarian friend, (wonderfully helpful people, librarians) she came up with
"a murder of crows" as the correct designation - which a fellow citizen of
this fair city (who doesn't share my liking for these sagacious birds and
shall therefore be nameless here) probably reckons is what it should be.
My librarian friend also offered "an unkindness of ravens" as the official
English expression.
So, please could I be advised of any collective nouns for birds - any
species, Australian or otherwise, any language (provided the word can be
rendered in the English alphabet), formally recognised or dreamed up for the
occasion.
Two requests though:
1. Send them to me, not to birding-aus (unless you really feel you
must) and I'll post a compiled list in due course.
2. Considering some of the weird collective nouns - like murder and
unkindness - that already exist, please state clearly when you have dreamed
up a noun, so I can give due acknowledgement (unless you don't want this).
T I A
Syd Curtis (at Hawthorne in Brisbane, Queensland)
P.S. I guess a noise of Friar-birds would be a bit too obvious. What
alternative?
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