Block Island National Wildlife Refuge

Block Island National Wildlife Refuge protects a small but ecologically important portion of Block Island, about 12 miles off mainland Rhode Island. Established in 1973 with 28 acres transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard, it has expanded to 127 acres. Along the Atlantic Flyway, it serves as a key stopover for migrating birds, especially songbirds that pause there in fall before continuing south, drawing many birders. The refuge also protects the endangered American burying beetle, including the only known population east of the Mississippi River, threatened piping plovers, and Rhode Island’s largest gull colony. Its modest size belies a major role in conserving notable island habitat and rare species.

New Shoreham, Rhode Island · United States