rookery

American  

[rook-uh-ree] / ˈrʊk ə ri /

noun

plural

rookeries

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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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

In June and early July, the rookery would typically resemble a nursery overrun with featherless black-skinned newborns with pterodactyl features or weeks-old hatchlings with heart-shaped brown patches on their backs.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022

Pycelle’s chambers were beneath the rookery, a spacious suite of rooms cluttered with racks of herbs and salves and potions and shelves jammed full of books and scrolls.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• hatchery