Northeast · Atlantic Flyway
Owls in Rhode Island
Owls in Rhode Island come down to 7 species with regular eBird records, led by the Barred Owl. Together they account for 5,254 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.2% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and American Barn Owl. Owls are mostly nocturnal hunters, so they are far more often heard than seen; learning the calls is how most people find them. Several species nest in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes, and a few use open nest boxes.
Owls in Rhode Island: every species, most-reported first
Every owl 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. Barred Owl (Strix varia) — 2,033 records, 0.09% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) — 1,529 records, 0.07% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in January.
3. Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) — 583 records, 0.03% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to April and peaking in February.
4. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) — 573 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to February and peaking in December.
5. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) — 275 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to March and peaking in February.
6. Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) — 183 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in January.
7. American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) — 78 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in September and October with a peak in October.
When to see owls in Rhode Island
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, owls are most prominent in December, January and February and least in July and June. 1 of the 7 species is year-round — Barred Owl — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. Great Horned Owl arrives around September and leaves after April (peak January); Eastern Screech-Owl arrives around August and leaves after April (peak February); Snowy Owl arrives around December and leaves after February (peak December); Short-eared Owl arrives around December and leaves after March (peak February); Northern Saw-whet Owl arrives around October and leaves after March (peak January).
Passage migrants. American Barn Owl is reported mainly in September and October.
Attracting owls to Rhode Island backyards
You cannot feed owls, but you can host them: mature trees, a nest box of the right dimensions for the local species, and a yard without rodenticide (which poisons the owls that eat the rodents) are what matter.
In Rhode Island the owl most likely to turn up is the Barred Owl. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Owls in Rhode Island: FAQ
How many species of owls are there in Rhode Island?
7 species of owls have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and American Barn Owl.
What is the most common owl in Rhode Island?
The Barred Owl, with 2,033 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Great Horned Owl with 1,529. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see owls in Rhode Island?
December, January and February, when the combined share of Rhode Island eBird records belonging to owls is highest. Winter visitors such as the Great Horned Owl arrive around September.
More birds in Rhode Island
Owls in other states
Owls 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 Strigidae and Tytonidae; 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.