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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Wes piloted the boat across the Maryland state line and into Virginia and rounded a bend partially obscuring the rookery on Chesapeake Bay Foundation land. 
Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 The Piedras Blancas Light Station and the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, as well as the area’s crown jewel, Hearst Castle. Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 The other extreme is the rare mineral spheniscidite, which forms only when the urine of penguins (order Sphenisciformes, hence the mineral name) reacts with clay minerals beneath a rookery on Elephant Island in the British Antarctic Territory. David Bressan, Forbes, 2 July 2022 The rookery was mainly populated by adults, with a few youngsters in the mix. Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 The rookery is free and open every day with a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk for viewing the seals from a safe distance. Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021 There's plenty to see and do off California's Pacific Coast Highway — from the sea lion rookery north of San Simeon to the vineyards of Edna Valley. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2022 The city started the meeting by apologizing for its miscommunication about the project’s objectives related to a rookery — or breeding ground — of egrets in the park, which has become one of the most contentious issues to arise from the project. Elena Bruess, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Apr. 2022 The National Aquarium believes a group of grey seals might have set up a colony, also known as a rookery, in mid-Atlantic waters based on the increasing number of juvenile seals spotted in the area. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 23 Mar. 2022 See More
Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 The Piedras Blancas Light Station and the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, as well as the area’s crown jewel, Hearst Castle. Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 The other extreme is the rare mineral spheniscidite, which forms only when the urine of penguins (order Sphenisciformes, hence the mineral name) reacts with clay minerals beneath a rookery on Elephant Island in the British Antarctic Territory. David Bressan, Forbes, 2 July 2022 The rookery was mainly populated by adults, with a few youngsters in the mix. Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 The rookery is free and open every day with a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk for viewing the seals from a safe distance. Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021 There's plenty to see and do off California's Pacific Coast Highway — from the sea lion rookery north of San Simeon to the vineyards of Edna Valley. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2022 The city started the meeting by apologizing for its miscommunication about the project’s objectives related to a rookery — or breeding ground — of egrets in the park, which has become one of the most contentious issues to arise from the project. Elena Bruess, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Apr. 2022 The National Aquarium believes a group of grey seals might have set up a colony, also known as a rookery, in mid-Atlantic waters based on the increasing number of juvenile seals spotted in the area. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 23 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1a