Bats in Rhode Island: where to look and what signs to watch for

Yes, Rhode Island is home to several bat species, and they are found in every part of the state. The two you are most likely to see are the big brown bat and the little brown bat. Other species recorded here include the tri-colored bat, the northern long-eared bat, the eastern small-footed bat, and migratory tree bats such as the hoary bat, eastern red bat, and silver-haired bat.

These small mammals are common around water bodies, forest edges, and the eaves of older buildings. Their numbers have changed a great deal over the past fifteen years. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that strikes hibernating bats, has sharply reduced little brown bats, northern long-eared bats, and tri-colored bats. Big brown bats, which often winter inside heated buildings rather than cold caves, have fared better and are now the species most people spot in summer. All of Rhode Island's bats are still active and visible during the warmer months, so a quiet evening near water is usually rewarding.

Rhode Island hosts both year-round resident bats and migratory tree bats that pass through or breed here in summer.

The big brown bat is a sturdy bat with a wingspan near 13 inches, glossy brown fur, and a slow, steady flight. It is the species most often found roosting in attics and barns. The little brown bat is smaller, with a wingspan close to 10 inches and a quicker, more erratic flight as it chases insects low over water. Up close the two are separated by size and by the shape of the tragus, the small flap inside the ear.

The tri-colored bat is one of the smallest, with yellowish fur and a weak, fluttery flight that looks almost moth-like. The northern long-eared bat is named for its noticeably long ears and a long, pointed tragus. Migratory tree bats are easier to name by color: the eastern red bat is rusty orange, the hoary bat is large and frosted with white-tipped fur, and the silver-haired bat is nearly black with silver-tipped hairs. Telling species apart in flight is hard, so most observers note size, flight style, and where the bat is feeding, then confirm details only when a bat is found roosting or in the hand of a trained rehabilitator.

Bats are most often seen near freshwater, where flying insects gather after dark. Ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers are reliable feeding grounds. Open fields next to woodland edges are good too, since bats cruise the boundary between trees and open air.

Good public spots include the Arcadia Management Area in the western part of the state, the Great Swamp Management Area in South Kingstown, and the ponds and trails of Lincoln Woods State Park. Colt State Park and the shoreline of Narragansett Bay also draw feeding bats on warm evenings. Closer to home, bats roost in barns, attics, behind shutters, and in the cavities of old trees, so a yard near water or woods often hosts its own small colony.

Look under bridges and at the eaves of older buildings where crevices give daytime shelter. For a planned outing, pick a calm, warm evening, arrive before sunset, and face a pond or field with an open western sky.

In Rhode Island, bats are active from roughly April through October, with peak activity across the warm weeks of June, July, and August. They emerge at dusk, usually 15 to 30 minutes after sunset, to feed on moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and other night-flying insects. Warm, calm, humid evenings produce the most insects and the most visible bats, while cold, windy, or rainy nights keep them tucked in their roosts.

Through late spring and summer, females gather in maternity colonies to raise pups, so feeding flights near roosts are especially busy. In autumn, migratory tree bats move south and resident species head to hibernation sites. During winter, big brown bats may shelter in buildings while cave-hibernating species enter a deep torpor, so sightings between November and March are rare.

See our state animal guide for the next step.

Bat droppings, called guano, are one of the clearest signs. The pellets are small and dark, and unlike mouse droppings they crumble into shiny flecks of insect parts when pressed. A pile of guano under an attic vent, barn beam, or shutter usually marks a roost above.

You may also notice brown oily staining around small entry gaps where bats squeeze in and out, and a faint musky odor near a larger colony. At dusk, listen for soft chittering, squeaking, or rustling from a roost as bats wake and prepare to leave. The most reliable sign in the field is simply watching for dark silhouettes against the fading sky, where the quick, swooping, unpredictable flight quickly separates a bat from a bird. Counting bats as they stream out of a roost entrance at dusk is a common way to estimate colony size without disturbing them.