Northeast · Atlantic Flyway
Ducks in Rhode Island
Ducks in Rhode Island come down to 31 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mallard. Together they account for 185,910 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 8.1% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mallard, Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, American Black Duck, Common Eider, Hooded Merganser, Black Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Wood Duck, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, Gadwall, Long-tailed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Barrow's Goldeneye, Blue-winged Teal, Canvasback, King Eider, Muscovy Duck and Tufted Duck. Ducks divide into dabblers, which tip up in shallow water, and divers, which disappear underwater for their food. Most species breed far to the north and are winter visitors across much of the country, so the best duck-watching is usually from late fall through early spring.
Ducks in Rhode Island: every species, most-reported first
Every duck with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) — 35,216 records, 1.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) — 17,466 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in February.
3. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) — 16,235 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
4. American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) — 15,603 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in January.
5. Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) — 14,474 records, 0.6% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
6. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) — 10,020 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
7. Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) — 8,534 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in February.
8. Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) — 7,799 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to March and peaking in January.
9. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) — 7,375 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to November and peaking in March.
10. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) — 5,225 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in February.
11. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) — 5,190 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in February.
12. White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) — 4,774 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in December.
The remaining 19 species — American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, Gadwall, Long-tailed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Barrow's Goldeneye, Blue-winged Teal, Canvasback, King Eider, Muscovy Duck and Tufted Duck — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see ducks in Rhode Island
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, ducks are most prominent in January, February and December and least in May and June. 1 of the 31 species is year-round — Mallard — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Wood Duck arrives around March and is mostly gone after November (peak March).
Winter visitors. Red-breasted Merganser arrives around November and leaves after April (peak February); Bufflehead arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); American Black Duck arrives around October and leaves after March (peak January); Common Eider arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Hooded Merganser arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Black Scoter arrives around November and leaves after March (peak February).
Passage migrants. Blue-winged Teal is reported mainly in March, April, September and October; Canvasback is reported mainly in January, February and March; King Eider is reported mainly in January, February and October; Tufted Duck is reported mainly in January, February and March.
Attracting ducks to Rhode Island backyards
Unless you have a pond, ducks are birds to go and see rather than attract. Local reservoirs, sewage ponds, and coastal inlets in winter are where the variety is.
In Rhode Island the duck most likely to turn up is the Mallard.
Ducks in Rhode Island: FAQ
How many species of ducks are there in Rhode Island?
31 species of ducks have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mallard, Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, American Black Duck, Common Eider, Hooded Merganser, Black Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Wood Duck, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, Gadwall, Long-tailed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Barrow's Goldeneye, Blue-winged Teal, Canvasback, King Eider, Muscovy Duck and Tufted Duck.
What is the most common duck in Rhode Island?
The Mallard, with 35,216 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Red-breasted Merganser with 17,466. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see ducks in Rhode Island?
January, February and December, when the combined share of Rhode Island eBird records belonging to ducks is highest. Summer visitors such as the Wood Duck arrive around March. Winter visitors such as the Red-breasted Merganser arrive around November.
More birds in Rhode Island
Ducks in other states
Ducks in Rhode Island: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Rhode Island records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Anatidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.