Northeast · Atlantic Flyway
Warblers in Rhode Island
Warblers in Rhode Island come down to 38 species with regular eBird records, led by the Yellow Warbler. Together they account for 122,122 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 5.3% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Blue-winged Warbler, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Mourning Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Townsend's Warbler. Wood-warblers are small, active, often brightly colored insect-eaters, and for many birders they define spring migration. A few species winter in the southern states; most breed in the north and pass through in April–May and again in September–October.
Warblers in Rhode Island: every species, most-reported first
Every warbler 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. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) — 21,103 records, 0.9% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
2. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) — 17,195 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in June.
3. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) — 14,921 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, October and November with a peak in October.
4. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) — 9,110 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, May and June with a peak in April.
5. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) — 8,280 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, June, August and September with a peak in May.
6. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) — 7,735 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and June with a peak in May.
7. Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) — 7,006 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and September with a peak in May.
8. Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) — 5,726 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and September with a peak in May.
9. Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) — 3,921 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and June with a peak in May.
10. Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) — 3,723 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, September and October with a peak in October.
11. Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) — 3,664 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, September and October with a peak in October.
12. Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) — 3,263 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, June and September with a peak in May.
The remaining 26 species — Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Mourning Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Townsend's Warbler — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see warblers in Rhode Island
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, warblers are most prominent in May, June and September and least in March and February. None of the 38 species is a year-round resident, so the timing below is everything.
Summer visitors. Yellow Warbler arrives around May and is mostly gone after July (peak May); Common Yellowthroat arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak June).
Winter visitors. Orange-crowned Warbler arrives around October and leaves after January (peak November); Yellow-breasted Chat arrives around October and leaves after February (peak January).
Passage migrants. Yellow-rumped Warbler is reported mainly in April, October and November; Pine Warbler is reported mainly in April, May and June; American Redstart is reported mainly in May, June, August and September; Ovenbird is reported mainly in May and June; Black-and-white Warbler is reported mainly in May and September; Northern Parula is reported mainly in May and September.
Attracting warblers to Rhode Island backyards
Warblers rarely visit seed feeders. Native trees and shrubs that host insects, a shallow moving-water feature, and no pesticides are what bring them into a yard, especially during migration.
In Rhode Island the warbler most likely to turn up is the Yellow Warbler. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Warblers in Rhode Island: FAQ
How many species of warblers are there in Rhode Island?
38 species of warblers have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Blue-winged Warbler, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Mourning Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Townsend's Warbler.
What is the most common warbler in Rhode Island?
The Yellow Warbler, with 21,103 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Common Yellowthroat with 17,195. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
When is the best time to see warblers in Rhode Island?
May, June and September, when the combined share of Rhode Island eBird records belonging to warblers is highest. Summer visitors such as the Yellow Warbler arrive around May. Winter visitors such as the Orange-crowned Warbler arrive around October.
More birds in Rhode Island
Warblers in other states
Warblers 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 Parulidae; 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.