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

White sharks gather near rookeries for a buffet as weanlings begin heading out to sea. —Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025

The trouble begins when these birds come to urban and residential areas and establish rookeries — nesting colonies — inhabited by hundreds, if not thousands, of adult egrets and their young. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2025

Egrets typically create rookeries in February or March, after which waves of birds will arrive, laying eggs and raising chicks until mid-September or October. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for rookery

• cookery

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