a group of birds.

over breakfast in the backyard with beautiful birdsong, the conversation turned to the collective names of birds. so we looked them up. some are very beautiful terms; others, very appropriate.

generally, a group of birds is referred to as a fleet, flock, flight, congregation, parcel, pod, volery or dissimulation [small birds only].

more specifically:

a bevy of quail [bevy is a great word.]
a bouquet of pheasants [when flushed] [a bouquet! superbness.]
a brood of hens
a building of rooks [oooh. architectural]
a cast of hawks [or falcons]
a charm of finches
a colony of penguins
a company of parrots
a congregation of plovers
a cover of coots
a covey of partridges
a deceit of lapwings [the lapwing is the official name of the australian plover. quite appropriate.]
a descent of woodpeckers [because they could fell a tree?]
a dole of doves
an exaltation of larks [beautiful!]
a fall of woodcocks
a flight of swallows [or doves, goshawks or cormorants.]
a gaggle of geese
a host of sparrows
a kettle of hawks [riding a thermal].
a madrigal of magpies [for the australian magpie. so true. so so true! their song is magical.]
a murmuration of starlings [if only the murmur were true.]
a murder of crows
a muster of storks
a nye of pheasants [on the ground.]
an ostentation of peacocks [peacock perfection! ostentation n. 1. pretentious display meant to impress others; boastful showiness. 2. the act or an instance of showing; an exhibition.]
a paddling of ducks [on the water. ducks are cool.]
a parliament of owls
a party of jays
a peep of chickens
a pitying of turtledoves
a raft of ducks
a rafter of turkeys
a siege of herons
a skein of geese [in flight.]
a sord of mallards
a spring of teal
a tidings/murder of magpies [northern hemisphere. an entirely different species to the australian magpie.]
a trip of dotterel
an unkindness of ravens [probably the favourite.]
a watch of nightingales
a wedge of swans [or geese, flying in a 'v'.]
a wisp of snipe