rookery

American  

[rook-uh-ree] / ˈrʊk ə ri /

noun

rookeries plural

1. a breeding place or colony of gregarious birds or animals, as penguins and seals.

2. a colony of rooks.

3. a place where rooks congregate to breed.

4. a crowded tenement house.

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rookery British  

/ ˈrʊkərɪ /

noun

1. a group of nesting rooks

2. a clump of trees containing rooks' nests

3. 1. a breeding ground or communal living area of certain other species of gregarious birds or mammals, esp penguins or seals

   2. a colony of any such creatures

4. archaic an overcrowded slum tenement building or area of housing

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rookery Scientific  

/ rk′ə-rē /

1. A place where certain birds or animals, such as crows, penguins, and seals, gather to breed.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• rookeries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rookery

First recorded in 1715–25; rook ¹ + -ery

Example Sentences

And he said the percentage of animals that have died in the Año Nuevo rookery is relatively small: Only about 5% of weaned pups and 6% of adult males have died.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

For the study, scientists collected brain samples from four sea lions, one fur seal and a tern found dead at the most affected sea lion rookery in Argentina.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

The expedition was the first to sight an Emperor Penguin rookery and obtain an egg of the species.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2022

The rookery was mainly populated by adults, with a few youngsters in the mix.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022

Mrs. Popper had removed all the stranger objects, leaving only the marbles and checkers, so that Captain Cook now had a nice, orderly little rookery.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater

Related Words

• hatchery