It turns out that even when their groupings have a name, it's not necessarily scientifically backed. "We don't wind up using these terms in any kind of serious discussion, but they're entertaining to bring up in casual conversation," Birds and Blooms bird expert Kenn Kaufman says of these "terms of venery" that originated in hunting. "They could have been useful to members of the nobility going out hunting in the Middle Ages in Europe, hoping to bag a brace of ducks," says Kenn. Furthermore, although some are aptly named, such as the more commonly known "murder of crows," some creatures with collective terms don't congregate in groups. As Kenn points out, "It's rare to see enough owls together to constitute a parliament of owls, but it is still fun to say!"
An Exaltation of Larks
The horned lark is the only lark native to North America. It generally forages in flocks (except when it is nesting) and does it while walking or running on the ground, picking up seeds, insects and low-hanging berries as it goes. But it sings from high in the sky, either from perches or while flying.
A murmuration of Starlings
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
IN GOOD COMPANY
BIRDS OF A FEATHER MAY FLOCK TOGETHER, but what about other collectives of critters-and what do you call them when they do?
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