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Glite Dictionary
rookery

rookery

2 8.4
A place where many birds nest and raise their young
  • noun
  • /ˈrʊkəri/
: nido
  • The birdwatchers were thrilled to see the bustling activity at the rookery where dozens of gulls were nesting.
  • bird rookeries
  • lion rookeries
  • sea lion rookeries

Examples

  • When this happens, the rookery is crowded.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The rookery buzzed with excitement.

    The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)

  • At the edge of the rookery lies the site of a large village with several house pits and a cemetery.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Since I had never ventured far enough into the swamp to see the heron rookery, I accompanied White one day to see it.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The primary rookeries (breeding sites) are on the Pribilof Islands and the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Every spring, the local wildlife reserves protect the rookery to ensure that the birds can breed safely.

  • During our hike, we stumbled upon a secluded rookery filled with chirping chicks and their attentive parents.

Synonyms

nesting place
vsrookery
1 2.1

A place where birds or animals build a nest and lay eggs

refers specifically to a large bird colony where many breed together

How Crowded

rookery
2 8.4
colony
58 2.4
nest
233 1.0

Surface Forms

rookery singular
rookeries plural

Morphology

rookery = rook (transparent) = rook + ery

Formed by the noun 'rook' plus the productive suffix '-ery' indicating a place or collective, so the meaning 'place where rooks gather' is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word rookery comes from rook, a black bird, plus the ending -ery, the same ending you see in bakery and brewery, which means 'place of'. So a rookery is literally a 'place of rooks', which is why it means a place where many birds nest together.