Why is a Group of Falcons Called a Cast?

The Noble 'Cast': Unraveling the Terminology of Falconry

When multiple falcons gather together, they are known as a cast of falcons. While modern English often defaults to generic collective nouns like a 'flock,' the terminology surrounding birds of prey—historically known as 'game birds' or 'raptors'—is rich with specialized vocabulary inherited from the Middle Ages.

Historical Origins and Falconry

The word cast originates from Middle English and Old Norse roots relating to throwing or releasing. In the context of medieval falconry, a sport heavily codified by nobility, a 'cast' specifically referred to a pair of falcons released (or 'cast off') simultaneously to hunt quarry. Because certain high-status falcons, like the Gyrfalcon or Peregrine, were often flown in coordinated pairs to capture fast-flying prey such as ducks or herons, the term naturally expanded from the action of launching them to describe the birds themselves.

Literature and Preservation

This terminology was famously cataloged in treatises such as The Book of St. Albans (1486), a foundational English text on angling, hunting, and heraldry. Such texts established the 'terms of venery'—a specialized lexicon used by the aristocracy to distinguish themselves through language. Using terms like a 'cast' of falcons, a 'charm' of goldfinches, or an 'exaltation' of larks demonstrated cultural literacy and membership in the upper echelons of feudal society.

Modern Nuance

Today, while ornithologists generally avoid poetic collective nouns in favor of scientific precision, terms like 'cast' survive in ecological literature, wildlife rehabilitation, and popular culture. They serve as a linguistic bridge to an era when humanity's relationship with nature was mediated through the aristocratic traditions of the hunt.