I learned something new recently.
A group of giraffes are referred to as a tower.
A Towering Tower Of Giraffes
They are also a herd, the common noun for a group of mammals, but they have other collective names as well: a journey, or the aforementioned tower, which is how I like to think of them: Standing tall together, towering over the savannah.
In the vein of “I was xx years old when I learned this…” I went deeper with my research…
Vultures in a tree are a committee, but when they take to the ground, they form a wake.
Owls group in a parliament. Eagles, a convocation.
How brilliant!
Wise Owls Form A “Parliament”
I admit this research led me down the rabbit hole. (Did’ja know a group of rabbits is quite perfectly referred to as a fluffle?)
As someone who believes in the power of individual words and the power of those words together to tell compelling stories, I am tickled by my newfound knowledge from A (aardvark = armory) to Z (zebras = dazzle)!
These collective nouns make me think of the collective power we form together.
We’re not just a group of women or future leaders or volunteers for a cause, we are a tower, looming tall.
Sure, we may scurry (squirrels), or prickle (porcupines), or cause confusion (guineafowl) but we also form a pack (wild dogs), a troop (baboons), and a pride (lions) with pride for our accomplishments.
I Fell Into A “Fluffle” Of A Rabbit Hole For My Research!
Whether you accept us into the club or not, we’re here and we’re sticking together.
A cloud of bats, a swarm of mosquitos, an intrusion of cockroaches – we are a powerful group.
The next time you feel on your own or alone, know that there are others just like you and that we are stronger together than we are apart.
Find your flock of flamingoes (a flamboyance), or, if you’re feeling rather cranky as I get sometimes, a murder (crows).
After all, who could ignore a flamboyance of flamingoes, and who would mess with a murder of crows?
Valerie Gordon is a former Emmy-winning television producer, author, and the founder of career and communications firm The Storytelling Strategist. She uses the power of words and of story in her corporate workshops and conference appearances and helps women towel tall together!