Introduction

What started as a casual hobby of counting birds during my daily walks gradually became a full-blown obsession. Nothing quite compares to that moment of encountering a wild creature in its natural habitat. Once on the lookout, I saw many more birds than I ever expected, most within walking or biking distance from my home in Providence. Observing birds made an otherwise routine walk that much brighter and filled with anticipation of what might be around the corner.

Through birding, I got to know the areas in and around my neighborhood that much better, and also visited many new places in Rhode Island. Watching birds centers your mind in the present, and I started paying closer attention to the changing seasons, the wind, and the tides. Seeing a Hooded Merganser heralded the colder months, while hearing the woods come alive with the songs of warblers signaled that spring migration was in full swing.

The variety in form, pattern, and color on display in the avian world is endlessly inspiring. Seeing how birds move and interact with one another, it’s difficult not to assign a distinct personality to each feathered creature. For the drawings in this book I decided to try and capture their liveliness and character rather than the stiff scientific approach that is the norm for nature guides. Editing the selection was a great challenge, but I decided to mainly focus on the species I was able to spot firsthand, often multiple times (the logic being if I am able to spot them, so will you). My goal was to observe birds out in the field, and to take my own reference photos whenever possible to use for the illustrations. Happy to say, I was able to achieve this with all but four of the birds included in this guide.

Fortunately for this project, Rhode Island is a great spot to go birding due to the variety of habitats, including salt marshes, estuaries, mature forests, and beaches. There are many spots to admire the natural beauty of the environment. One of the best examples might be the East Bay Bike Path, which is a 14.5 mile trail that hugs the coast, connecting Providence to Bristol. There are also many islands, such as Prudence Island, Rose Island, and Block Island, located in Narragansett Bay which are known for being great spots for observing birds.

Although this guide is focused on birds that live or pass through Rhode Island, these creatures are not governed by our borders and state lines. Many that are presented here can be found in other parts of the country, and in some cases around the world. Unfortunately, there is a concerning trend of species that are in steep decline, largely due to human activities. The first step in helping these birds is to bring greater awareness of their existence, and to that end, this guide was born. The more I learn, the more I want to know. My hope is that this guide will make you feel the same and provide a starting point for your birding adventures.