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Congress Bridge Bats
Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats
Category Fascinating Fauna, Obscura Day Location
The Congress Avenue Bridge, which spans Town Lake in downtown Austin, is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. This event has become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas.
The most impressive bat flights happen on hot, dry August nights, when multiple columns of bats emerge. There are several points from which to view these events, and an information kiosk is located on the north bank of the river, just east of the bridge.
Join us on Obscura Day - March 20th, 2010 - at the Congress Street bridge to watch the nighttime exodus of the Mexican free-tailed bats as they pour into the sky to hunt insects.
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- Address Congress Bridge, Austin, Texas, United States
Comments
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I stayed at the Radisson Hotel overlooking the Congress bridge a few years ago and witnessed the bat exodus every night from my room. Before sunset the lake fills with tour boats and the bridge is congested with spectators. Just after sunset the exodus begins, and the incredible number of bats astounds you as they fill the sky and errant bats terrify spectators with near-misses and sprinkle them with guano. A creepy, unique urban spectacular.
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When I was there last week the best location on the bridge to watch was about mid-way on the east side. Tourist boats also were also there to watch. Sunset was about 7:30pm, the bats came out around 8pm I think, and flew out nonstop for 20min or more. Very much worth seeing. No corn tortilla smell as reported in previous comment, just bat guano. It seemed strongest on the NW side; I think that is the direction the wind was blowing.
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Anonymous
November 4, 2009
Oddly enough, the guano accumulated in the dark interiors of the bridge gives off the scent of fresh corn tortillas. No joke. You can smell it from a block away. -
Anonymous
July 14, 2009
I got to witness this event in Aug. from a dinner boat on the river. Imagine in the orange glow in thelight of the setting sun... thick dark rivers against the firey sky flying off in all directions and it lasts for some time as there are soo many bats.
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Anonymous
July 13, 2009
I live right next to the Congress Bridge on Town Lake(now known as Lady Bird Lake). It is an amazing site to see! There are a few different locations that you can see the bats from; the top of the east side of the bridge, the hill on the southeast side, and on a boat ride that stations itself just right to see all the bats coming out and your only a few hundred feet from all the action! But watch out-sometimes there will be a very confused bat that flies right into the crowd of people on the hill! Come right before sunset and be prepared to be part of a crowd-even if it's not on a holiday weekend to see this magnificent sight!
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This many bats in one place what a site. I heard the caves in northern Michigan is a site to see also. <a href="http://www.vamoosevarmint.com">bat removal</a>
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Anonymous
June 29, 2009
This is one site to see a million plus bats comming out from under this bridge. I could not imagine the site and the excitement when the first bats start to emerge. I could not imagine this site and the sounds when the bats get ixcited about the night coming on. Thanks for the post. <a href=http://www.probatremoval.com/denver_bat_removal.htm>Bat Removal Denver</a>
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