Word of the day: Aerie

Aerie

[AIR-ee]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 16th century

A large nest of a bird of prey, especially an eagle, typically built high in a tree or on a cliff.

Examples of aerie in a sentence

"As we rounded the corner of the mountain trail, we spotted an eagle’s aerie and carefully avoided it."

"We didn’t have predatory birds in this area for decades until an aerie of hawks appeared in the trees at the edge of the park."

About Aerie

“Aerie” is taken from Latin, where it means “of the air.”

Did you Know?

Aeries are nests for birds of prey, and because predatory birds are generally larger in size, their nests are often noticeably larger than the nests of common birds. The bald eagle in particular is known for the size of its aeries. At up to 6 feet in diameter, bald eagle nests are the largest birds’ nests in North America — not surprising, given the fact that bald eagle wingspans can reach greater than 6 feet. The longer bald eagles remain in each particular aerie, the larger the nests themselves can become, as they add new material to the structure with each passing season.