Rhode Island Red, the state bird of Rhode Island

How to recognize it

The Rhode Island Red is not a wild bird but a domestic chicken breed. Its feathers are a deep red: show birds are a rich mahogany, while birds bred for production are often a paler orange-brown, and older-type birds are darker than modern industrial strains. It is a large bird with a long, rectangular body and yellow skin; standard weights are about 8.5 pounds for a rooster and 6.5 pounds for a hen. There are single-comb and rose-comb varieties, recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1904 and 1905.

A dual-purpose bird

The breed is raised for both eggs and meat. Hens lay large brown eggs, about 200 to 300 a year, and can begin laying at around six months. Most hens are calm, though some roosters can be aggressive.

Born in Little Compton

The Rhode Island Red was developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1880s and 1890s from Malay, Shanghai, Java and Brown Leghorn stock. Local history places its birthplace in Little Compton, and in the village of Adamsville a monument put up by the Rhode Island Red Club in 1925 marks the spot. A second memorial stands near William Tripp’s original farm, at William Sisson Road and Long Highway.

Where to see one

Besides the monuments in Little Compton, the breed itself is easy to find: it is common in farm and backyard flocks.

Old-type birds

The Livestock Conservancy took the heritage, non-industrial Rhode Island Red off its Conservation Priority List in 2023. It warns, though, that the larger, darker, broodier old-type birds are now uncommon, because industrial strains have been bred smaller and lighter in color.

The state bird since 1954

In 1954 the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs and the Providence Journal Company organized a statewide election for a state bird. The Rhode Island Red finished ahead of the osprey and the ruby-throated hummingbird, and Governor Dennis J. Roberts signed the bill on May 3, 1954.