My kid asked me this question three weeks ago while we were at the park, and honestly, I felt pretty stupid not knowing the answer. She’s seven and somehow expects me to know everything about animals just because I’m the dad.
So naturally, I did what any self-respecting parent does – I pretended I knew and then secretly googled it later that night on National Geographic.
Turns out this whole thing about what is a group of squirrels called is way more complicated than I expected. And kind of fascinating, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Which apparently I am now, because I spent way too much time reading about squirrel behavior on Animal Diversity Web last weekend instead of fixing the leaky faucet my wife keeps mentioning.
What Is A Group of Squirrels Called: The Short Answer (That’s Not Really Short)
Okay, so what is a group of squirrels called? Most sources like Merriam-Webster say it’s a “scurry.” Yeah, I know – sounds made up, right? That was my first thought too. Like someone was just messing around and decided to call it whatever sounded funny.
But then I actually watched the squirrels in my backyard for a while (don’t judge me, it was during a very boring conference call), and the name totally makes sense.
These little guys never just walk anywhere. It’s constant motion – dart left, freeze, dart right, leap up a tree, come back down, repeat. My neighbor’s cat sits by the window all day just watching them, and I swear she’s getting dizzy.
The thing is, what is a group of squirrels called depends on what they’re actually doing. It’s not like asking what you call a group of cows (which is a herd, in case you’re wondering).
Squirrels are weird.
They have different names for different situations, kind of like how your grandmother has different names for you depending on how much trouble you’re in.
There Are Actually Multiple Answers
This is where it gets interesting. What is a group of squirrels called has like four different answers, and each one tells you something specific about squirrel life that I never knew before.
A dray of squirrels – This one’s my favorite because it sounds all fancy and British, but it’s actually just talking about a family living in the same nest. You know those messy-looking balls of leaves up in trees that you always wondered about? That’s a dray. And when there’s a whole family crammed in there, it’s a dray of squirrels. We’ve got one in our oak tree that’s been there for two years. Same family keeps coming back every spring like they’re renting the place.
A colony of squirrels – This is more for the ground squirrel types. Think prairie dogs and their crazy underground cities. These guys make regular squirrels look antisocial. I saw a prairie dog town in Colorado once on a family road trip, and it was like looking at a tiny suburban neighborhood with better architecture. You can learn more about prairie dog colonies on PBS Nature.
A drove of squirrels – This is old-timey language that nobody really uses anymore. My great-aunt Marge would probably know this one. It’s for when squirrels are traveling together, though I’ve never actually seen squirrels migrate or anything. Maybe back when there were more forests?
The funny thing is, before my daughter asked me what is a group of squirrels called, I never paid attention to how many different ways squirrels hang out together. Now I notice it all the time. Last week I counted six squirrels in my front yard all working the same area under the bird feeder, but they weren’t exactly cooperating. More like competitive shopping.
Why Squirrels Even Bother With Groups
Here’s something I didn’t expect – squirrels actually have social lives. Not like dolphins or chimps or anything, but they’re not the loners I always thought they were.
Most tree squirrels (the ones that raid bird feeders and make your dog go crazy) are kind of like neighbors in a subdivision. They know who lives where, they recognize each other, and they’ll share information about where the good food is. But they’re not exactly having block parties either.
Winter is when things get interesting though. When it’s really cold, squirrels will actually share nests to stay warm. I found this out from a wildlife photographer’s blog – apparently you can sometimes see multiple squirrels going in and out of the same tree hole during cold snaps. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has some great research on this behavior. It’s like they become temporary roommates for survival.
And mating season? Complete chaos. I witnessed one of these squirrel love triangles (actually more like a love hexagon) in my backyard last spring. One female being chased by what looked like five males, all racing through the trees like they were in some kind of rodent action movie. Went on for over an hour. The female looked exhausted by the end of it.
Different Types, Different Rules
The type of squirrel makes a huge difference in what is a group of squirrels called and how they act.
Ground squirrels are the social butterflies. Prairie dogs have these elaborate communities with family groups, territorial boundaries, and even different warning calls for different predators. It’s like they have their own language. I read somewhere on Smithsonian Magazine that they can actually describe the size and color of threats to each other. Makes the squirrels in my yard look pretty basic by comparison.
Tree squirrels are more like friendly acquaintances. They’ll acknowledge each other, maybe share a particularly good oak tree during acorn season, but mostly they keep to themselves. The gray squirrels in my neighborhood definitely have territories worked out – there’s this one aggressive male who chases everyone away from “his” feeder, even though it’s technically my feeder.
Flying squirrels (which don’t actually fly, by the way – they glide) are surprisingly social for something you never see during the day. Apparently they often share big tree cavities with their extended families. One article I read on Wildlife Research Journal mentioned finding 20 flying squirrels in a single nest during winter. That’s cozy even by family reunion standards.
Location Changes Everything
What is a group of squirrels called can be different depending on where you live, and I don’t just mean the formal names.
In my neighborhood, most people just say “look at all those squirrels” instead of using proper collective nouns. But when my brother-in-law visits from rural Michigan, he always refers to any group of squirrels as “the family,” whether they’re actually related or not. It’s his way of acknowledging that he recognizes individual squirrels around his property.
City squirrels are completely different animals from country squirrels. Urban squirrels are bold, pushy, and will practically mug you for food. The squirrels in downtown parks form these temporary feeding groups around anyone with a sandwich. Country squirrels are much more cautious and spread out.
I noticed this when we moved from the city to the suburbs five years ago. City squirrels would practically knock on your door asking for peanuts. Suburban squirrels disappear the moment you step outside.
The History Behind These Weird Names
Trying to figure out what is a group of squirrels called led me down this internet rabbit hole about language and animal names on Etymology Online that was way more interesting than it should have been.
“Scurry” comes from old English words meaning to move quickly or hurriedly. Makes perfect sense when you watch squirrels do literally anything. They don’t have a casual gear – it’s either full speed or complete stillness, nothing in between. You can trace this etymology back through Oxford English Dictionary resources.
“Dray” has roots in words meaning “to drag,” which describes how squirrels drag all their nesting materials up into trees. I’ve watched squirrels drag pieces of bark that are bigger than they are. It’s like watching someone try to get a couch up a spiral staircase by themselves.
These aren’t just random made-up terms that someone pulled out of thin air. They’re based on actual observations of how squirrels behave, which makes them kind of cool from a language perspective.
What Brings Them Together
If you want to see what is a group of squirrels called in action, you need to know what draws them together in the first place.
Food is the big one. When the oak trees in my neighborhood have a good year, it’s like Black Friday for squirrels. They’ll temporarily ignore their usual territorial disputes and work the same trees, though there’s definitely some competitive tension. Lots of side-eye and strategic positioning.
Bad weather creates unexpected alliances. During the ice storm we had last February, I counted at least five squirrels using the same entrance to what I assume was a shared nest in my maple tree. They looked like they were running a busy hotel.
Mating season brings out the drama. It’s better than reality TV, honestly. All the chasing and chattering and acrobatic displays. My wife thinks I’m weird for watching it, but it’s genuinely entertaining.
Family time creates the most stable groups. Mother squirrels with babies will stick together for months, teaching the young ones essential skills like advanced bird feeder raiding and how to torment the neighbor’s cat effectively.
How Squirrel Groups Compare
Looking at what is a group of squirrels called next to other animal collective nouns shows how specific these names really are:
| Animal | Group Name | Why It Makes Sense |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrels | Scurry | They’re always moving fast |
| Crows | Murder | Honestly, nobody knows why |
| Geese | Gaggle | All that honking |
| Lions | Pride | They act all royal |
| Wolves | Pack | Team hunting |
| Rabbits | Warren | Underground cities |
| Bees | Swarm | Mass movement |
| Fish | School | Swimming in formation |
Most of these names connect to either how the animals move or how they live together. Squirrels got “scurry” because that’s basically their default mode of existence.
Seasons Change the Game
What is a group of squirrels called changes throughout the year because squirrel behavior is incredibly seasonal, which I never really noticed until I started paying attention.
Spring means baby season and dating drama. You’ll see those crazy mating chases I mentioned, plus pregnant females getting territorial about nesting spots. Last spring I watched two female squirrels have what could only be described as a property dispute over my maple tree. Lots of angry chattering and some actual fur flying before they worked out what seemed like a timeshare arrangement.
Summer is education time. Young squirrels learning the ropes from their parents create these temporary family groups. Baby squirrels are hilariously incompetent at everything their parents make look easy. Watching a baby squirrel try to crack its first acorn is like watching a toddler use chopsticks.
Fall is when things get serious. This is prep season, and the playful summer vibe completely disappears. Squirrels become focused and competitive. The ones in my yard start acting like they’re preparing for the apocalypse around October.
Winter is survival mode. All the territorial disputes get put on hold, and suddenly cooperation becomes more important than competition. Those nest-sharing arrangements show what is a group of squirrels called when it’s literally about staying alive.
City vs Country Squirrel Social Lives
Where squirrels live completely changes what is a group of squirrels called and how they interact with each other.
City squirrels are basically the New Yorkers of the animal world. They’re comfortable with crowds, they know how to work the system, and they’re incredibly bold. The squirrels in Central Park will form feeding lines around hot dog vendors that would never happen in a rural setting.
Country squirrels have more space to spread out, so their groups tend to be smaller and more family-focused. They’re also way more paranoid about predators and humans, which affects how willing they are to hang out in groups where they might be more visible.
I saw this difference clearly when my parents visited from their farm in Ohio. The squirrels there scatter if you even look at them through a window. My suburban squirrels practically press their faces against the glass begging for handouts.
Why This Actually Matters
Understanding what is a group of squirrels called isn’t just interesting trivia – it actually has practical implications that I never would have thought about.
Some squirrel species depend completely on their social structures for survival.
Prairie dog colonies have these sophisticated early warning systems that only work when there are enough individuals to post lookouts.
Break up the colony, and everyone becomes sitting ducks for hawks and coyotes. The National Wildlife Federation has extensive documentation on this.
Urban development affects squirrel social behavior in ways that can impact local populations. When new construction fragments forests, it messes up established territorial boundaries and group formations. I’ve seen this happen in my own neighborhood as new houses go up.
Even something as simple as bird feeder placement can influence local squirrel social dynamics. Too close together and you get territorial fights. Too far apart and you don’t get the interesting group interactions.
Squirrels in Stories and Pop Culture
What is a group of squirrels called doesn’t come up much in mainstream entertainment, but when it does, it’s usually in nature documentaries or kids’ books.
My daughter has this bedtime story about “a scurry of squirrels” planning a winter festival. It’s actually a pretty clever way to teach collective nouns while talking about animal behavior.
Disney movies tend to focus on individual squirrel characters rather than groups, which misses all the interesting social stuff.
Nature documentaries do better at showing real squirrel group behavior, though they usually focus on the more dramatic species like prairie dogs rather than regular backyard squirrels. BBC Earth has some amazing footage of squirrel social interactions.
The backyard ones are actually pretty interesting too, if you know what to look for.
Teaching Kids This Stuff
Learning what is a group of squirrels called turns out to be a great way to get kids interested in both language and nature.
My daughter loves collective nouns now because they sound funny but they’re based on real animal behavior. She points out “scurries” and “drays” during our walks, which has made her way more observant about wildlife in general.
It’s also sneaky vocabulary building. Once kids learn that there are special words for animal groups, they start asking about other species. Before you know it, they’re learning about flocks and herds and schools, all while thinking it’s just fun facts.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
There are some pretty typical misunderstandings about what is a group of squirrels called that I’ve run into since I started paying attention to this stuff.
Lots of people think squirrels live in permanent family groups like elephants or wolves. That’s not true for most species – they’re more like neighbors who help each other out when necessary but maintain separate households most of the time.
Others assume the collective noun terms are just silly made-up words with no real meaning. Actually, most of these terms have legitimate historical origins based on careful observation of animal behavior over centuries.
Some folks use “pack” or “herd” for squirrel groups, which isn’t technically correct but makes sense if you’re not familiar with the proper terms. I probably would have done the same thing before my daughter’s question sent me down this research path.
Real-World Applications
Knowing what is a group of squirrels called actually has some practical benefits beyond winning trivia contests or impressing your kids.
Wildlife rehabilitators use knowledge of squirrel social behavior to make better decisions about where and when to release orphaned animals. Releasing young squirrels near established family groups improves their chances of survival. Organizations like National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association provide guidelines on this.
Homeowners dealing with squirrel problems can benefit from understanding group dynamics.
Knowing when and why squirrels congregate helps develop more effective (and humane) management strategies. Though honestly, I’ve given up trying to keep them off my bird feeder and just buy extra birdseed now.
Nature educators use collective nouns as gateway topics to get people thinking more carefully about animal behavior and ecology.
Resources like Project Wild incorporate these concepts into educational programs. It works – I’m living proof.
Final Thoughts
So what is a group of squirrels called? The basic answer is “scurry,” but as I’ve discovered over the past few weeks, squirrel social life is way more complex and interesting than most people realize.
These collective nouns aren’t just quirky vocabulary words – they represent generations of people carefully watching animals and trying to capture their behavior in language. Someone long ago noticed that squirrels move in quick, darting patterns and thought “scurry” perfectly described what you see when several of them are active in the same area.
Now when I’m watching the squirrels in my yard (which happens more often than I care to admit), I know exactly what is a group of squirrels called depending on what they’re doing. More importantly, I notice their behavior in ways I never did before.
Are they scurrying around competing for food? Sharing a dray for the winter? Or engaged in one of those epic mating chases that look like a live-action cartoon?
Understanding what is a group of squirrels called has connected me to both the richness of language and the complexity of animal behavior in ways I never expected.
It’s one of those random pieces of knowledge that makes the world more interesting and helps you appreciate the wildlife you share space with every day.
Plus, now I have a good answer ready for the next time my daughter asks me something I should probably know but don’t.
Though knowing her, the next question will be about why squirrels don’t get dizzy from all that spinning around tree trunks. And honestly, I have no idea.