Austin, Texas

Congress Bridge Bats

Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats

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Contributors: Henry, wythe, Dylan

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.

ObscuraDay_join_me_badgeJoin 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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    Congress Bridge, Austin, Texas, United States
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