Birds in Rhode Island in December: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Rhode Island in December in our iNaturalist sample; 9 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in December

Common Eider96 obs.

Mallard80 obs.

American Herring Gull71 obs.

Canada Goose60 obs.

Bufflehead58 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee51 obs.

Red-breasted Merganser50 obs.

Common Loon47 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk47 obs.

Song Sparrow47 obs.

Tufted Titmouse46 obs.

Harlequin Duck44 obs.

All birds seen in Rhode Island in December

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	96	Jan (past peak)
2	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	80	Apr (past peak)
3	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	71	Aug (past peak)
4	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	60	Apr (past peak)
5	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	58	Feb (past peak)
6	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	51	Apr (past peak)
7	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	50	Mar (past peak)
8	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	47	Dec (peak)
9	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	47	Apr (past peak)
10	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	47	May (past peak)
11	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	46	Apr (past peak)
12	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	44	Apr (past peak)
13	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	44	Jan (past peak)
14	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	44	May (past peak)
15	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	44	Oct (past peak)
16	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	43	Apr (past peak)
17	Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	42	Dec (peak)
18	Black Scoter	Melanitta americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	42	Jan (past peak)
19	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	40	Aug (past peak)
20	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	40	May (past peak)
21	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	40	Apr (past peak)
22	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	40	Apr (past peak)
23	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	38	Feb (past peak)
24	Brant	Branta bernicla	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	37	Apr (past peak)
25	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	37	Dec (peak)
26	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	36	Apr (past peak)
27	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	33	Apr (past peak)
28	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	32	May (past peak)
29	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	29	Feb (past peak)
30	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	29	Apr (past peak)
31	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	26	Jun (past peak)
32	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	26	Jan (past peak)
33	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	24	Apr (past peak)
34	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	23	Dec (peak)
35	Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima	Sandpipers and Allies	22	Dec (peak)
36	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	22	May (past peak)
37	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Sandpipers and Allies	20	Sep (past peak)
38	Horned Grebe	Podiceps auritus	Grebes	19	Mar (past peak)
39	Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	19	Feb (past peak)
40	White-winged Scoter	Melanitta deglandi	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	19	Dec (peak)
41	Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	17	Jul (past peak)
42	Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	17	Dec (peak)
43	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	17	Apr (past peak)
44	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	17	May (past peak)
45	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	16	Apr (past peak)
46	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	16	Dec (peak)
47	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	16	Dec (peak)
48	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	15	Jul (past peak)
49	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	Woodpeckers	15	Nov (past peak)
50	Red-throated Loon	Gavia stellata	Loons	14	Mar (past peak)

Birds Seen in Rhode Island in December

Top birds in December

All birds seen in Rhode Island in December