BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Rhode Island Breeding Birds

141 species recorded across 7 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Rhode Island Bird Population TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Herring Gull has collapsed in Rhode Island: down 100% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Northern Cardinal has surged in Rhode Island: up 45× on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Least Flycatcher has collapsed in Rhode Island: down 91% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Tufted Titmouse has surged in Rhode Island: up 35× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Brown Thrasher has collapsed in Rhode Island: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Carolina Wren has surged in Rhode Island: up 24× on the route-weighted index since 1975.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Rhode IslandGuild trendA mean-index aggregate across the species in this group — the structural direction of the guild, with individual-species noise smoothed out.Full methodology →

-69%

Wetland birds

8 species
-67%

Shorebirds

1 species
-64%

Grassland birds

1 species
-61%

Waterfowl

3 species
-29%

Generalists

9 species
-21%

Birds of prey

6 species
+72%

Aerial insectivores

11 species
+77%

Forest birds

50 species
+130%

Game birds

2 species

Rhode Island Bird Survey Routes

Browse Rhode Island Birds By FamilyTrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →

Each species links to its trend in Rhode Island.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Broad-winged Hawk -22%Red-shouldered Hawk +69%Red-tailed Hawk +150%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck +57%Canada Goose -75%Mallard +70%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift +144%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -8%Great Blue Heron +22%Green Heron -55%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing 11×

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Indigo Bunting +272%Northern Cardinal 45×Rose-breasted Grosbeak +256%Scarlet Tanager -41%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture +274%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -67%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +337%Rock Pigeon -74%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +41%Blue Jay -52%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -76%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +173%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -84%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +127%House Finch +237%Purple Finch -81%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow -23%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -17%Purple Martin -6%Tree Swallow -60%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +11%Brown-headed Cowbird +174%Common Grackle -28%Eastern Meadowlark -64%Red-winged Blackbird -62%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Great Black-backed Gull +324%Herring Gull -100%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -89%Gray Catbird +172%Northern Mockingbird -67%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -83%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +82%Tufted Titmouse 35×

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +219%Black-and-white Warbler +36%Black-throated Green Warbler -69%Blue-winged Warbler +56%Canada Warbler -77%Chestnut-sided Warbler -63%Common Yellowthroat -1%Northern Waterthrush +71%Ovenbird +347%Pine Warbler +489%Prairie Warbler -62%Worm-eating Warbler +233%Yellow Warbler +344%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +413%Eastern Towhee -62%Field Sparrow -19%Song Sparrow +50%Swamp Sparrow -40%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow +85%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +179%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant +93%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +361%Hairy Woodpecker +222%Red-bellied Woodpecker +953%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +564%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch +579%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +118%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -64%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +251%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren 24×Northern House Wren +101%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +123%Eastern Bluebird +367%Hermit Thrush +0%Veery +15%Wood Thrush -43%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Eastern Kingbird -33%Eastern Phoebe +68%Eastern Wood-Pewee +146%Great Crested Flycatcher +295%Least Flycatcher -91%Willow Flycatcher +15%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo -33%Red-eyed Vireo +163%Warbling Vireo +390%White-eyed Vireo -63%Yellow-throated Vireo +206%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.