rookery

noun

rook·​ery ˈru̇-kə-rē 

plural rookeries

1

a

: the nests or breeding place of a colony of rooks

also : a colony of rooks

b

: a breeding ground or haunt especially of gregarious birds or mammals (such as penguins or seals)

also : a colony of such birds or mammals

2

: a crowded dilapidated tenement or group of dwellings

Examples of rookery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Perched on a hillside with plenty of rocks and places to hide out, the rattlesnake rookery in northern Colorado is helping researchers learn more about these venomous reptiles. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024

For the last three years, the team has also operated a similar live stream of a rattlesnake rookery in California. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024

San Simeon’s Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery bills itself as the only elephant seal rookery in the world that's free and open to the public every day of the year, and otters galore are a hit while kayaking in the Morro Bay Estuary. —Nina Kokotas Hahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2023

Levine Cava ordered the Department of Environmental Resources Management to conduct thorough field studies and GL Homes to submit a plan for DERM’s approval ensuring protection of the rookery. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 5 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

rookery

noun

rook·​ery ˈru̇k-ə-rē 

plural rookeries

: the place where a group of birds or social mammals (as penguins or seals) breed, nest, or raise their young