Northeast · Atlantic Flyway
Hawks in Rhode Island
Hawks in Rhode Island come down to 7 species with regular eBird records, led by the Red-tailed Hawk. Together they account for 43,164 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 1.9% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk and Rough-legged Hawk. Hawks range from the crow-sized accipiters that ambush songbirds at feeders to the broad-winged soaring buteos you see circling over highways. Many are year-round residents; others pass through in large numbers during spring and fall migration.
Hawks in Rhode Island: every species, most-reported first
Every hawk 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. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) — 18,758 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) — 8,179 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) — 6,486 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to March and peaking in February.
4. Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) — 5,162 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) — 2,573 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to February and peaking in October.
6. Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) — 1,925 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in April.
7. Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) — 81 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in February with a peak in February.
When to see hawks in Rhode Island
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, hawks are most prominent in November, October and February and least in July and June. 3 of the 7 species are year-round — Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and Red-shouldered Hawk — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Broad-winged Hawk arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak April).
Winter visitors. Northern Harrier arrives around September and leaves after March (peak February); Sharp-shinned Hawk arrives around September and leaves after February (peak October).
Passage migrants. Rough-legged Hawk is reported mainly in February.
Attracting hawks to Rhode Island backyards
A hawk visiting a feeder is part of a healthy yard, not a problem to solve. Dense shrubs and brush piles within a few feet of feeders give small birds cover; if a hawk keys in on your feeder, taking it down for a few days usually moves the hawk along.
In Rhode Island the hawk most likely to turn up is the Red-tailed Hawk, a year-round resident, followed by the Cooper's Hawk. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Hawks in Rhode Island: FAQ
How many species of hawks are there in Rhode Island?
7 species of hawks have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk and Rough-legged Hawk.
What is the most common hawk in Rhode Island?
The Red-tailed Hawk, with 18,758 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Cooper's Hawk with 8,179. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see hawks in Rhode Island?
November, October and February, when the combined share of Rhode Island eBird records belonging to hawks is highest. Summer visitors such as the Broad-winged Hawk arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Northern Harrier arrive around September.
More birds in Rhode Island
Hawks in other states
Hawks 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 Accipitridae; 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.