A rookery is a colony of breeding animals.

The term is most commonly applied to the nesting place of birds, such as the crow and rook, a bird similar to the crow, but smaller. The term is also used to describe the breeding grounds of the penguin and seabirds in general.

A rookery may also be a place where marine mammals such as the seal, sea lion, and walrus breed, give birth, and nurse their young, such as a beach or similar location.

A turtle rookery is typically a beach where the adult female nests and buries her eggs.

Archaeology

Archeological evidence points to the existence of a pterodaustro rookery. In Argentina, the lagarcito formation contained pterosaur nests, and layers of bodies of the pterodaustro.

Lostan's River

In the book Lostan's River by Cynthia DeFelice, Tyler and Tommy go to a plum birds rookery. Then Tyler takes Mr Strawbridge to that location. When Mr Strawbrdge meets the Plume Hunters he dies.

Slums

The term 'rookery' was also used as a name for dense slum housing in nineteenth-century cities, and especially London. Both St Giles and the Seven Dials were described as rookeries.

References

See also

• Seabird colony
• Auca Mahuevo, for a titanosaurid Sauropod dinosaur rookery