We have entered the normal spring pattern. There appeared to be about k bats overwintering in various locations in Greater Austin. Many seemingly came to the bridge when temperatures rose, then left in colder weather for locations where buildings were leaking warm air Such as the UT tower courtyard.
Temperature fluctuations caused others to go into, and come out of, torpor, while remaining at the bridge. Last Fall: Flights had mostly been before dark early last December, but not in big numbers.
Heavy rains at the end of October brought our annual rainfall back closer to normal, but fall totals still were nowhere near the huge rainfall surplus 6. Jan started out about Feb yearly totals are starting out around Viewing tips Bats fly every night, as long as it is not actively raining.
Gusty winds, approaching storms, first-quarter moons, large crowds, bright lights, and heavy boat traffic all make them more cautious, especially as they near giving birth around mid-May to early June. This is a maternity colony! During maternity season, only part of the colony will fly close to dark, and even those bats often wait until the crowd leaves.
The bats will fly minutes after rain showers, but long-lasting rain will keep them in for the night. Best viewing is from mid-March to early May and from late July through mid-September. Best viewing is at the end of August, when the pups have been flying for about a month, the drought has set in, and Congress is on fire!
See video below. There are three common spots for viewing the emergence: on top of the bridge, under the bridge on the north shoreline, and under the bridge on the south shoreline. The south shoreline farthest from downtown is our favorite spot to view the bats. We also had the City of Austin control the poison ivy that had grown on shrubs overhanging the trail. The timing of the emergence also matters when choosing the proper viewing location. If you visit when the bats are flying before dark less than 12 minutes after sunset , then the view from the top of the bridge, between the first and second light poles , allows you to see them fly down river.
If you visit when the bats are flying close to dark more than 12 minutes after sunset , best viewing is from below the bridge at the south side bat viewing area.
As you leave, the south end of the bridge near the parking lot offers an intimate view of bats under the lights. This is super fun even after dark! Congress Avenue Bridge is by no means the only bat roost in Central Texas. Learn more on our Radar page.
Austin Bat Refuge is funded solely through donations and grants. We provide care for injured and orphaned bats, education outreach, and conflict resolution. We have been the sole bat rehabilitators in the Austin area for 12 years. The video below shows a rehabilitated bat getting released back at Congress Avenue Bridge. If you want to help a downed bat at the bridge, call Austin Bat Refuge. Free-tailed bats are gentle animals that rarely bite except in self-defense if handled.
No visitor has ever been attacked or contracted a disease from these bats. Poison ivy should be carefully avoided along the riverbank, especially at the southeast end of the bridge. The first major bat column to emerge normally exits along the river edge at the southeast end of the bridge, with the column heading east along the river.
Because this is where bats are first seen, visitors tend to congregate there for viewing. However, for better views and photography, this is usually a mistake. On good emergence nights, at least two or three more columns typically begin within the first few minutes, one exiting near the middle and another near the northeast end of the bridge. Viewers positioned between the middle and north end of the bridge will have the best, unobstructed view of up to a mile of columns, clearly defined against the sky.
The observation deck on northeast side of river, adjacent to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail provides an unobstructed view of the bats, bridge and water. Photographs from water level, or from the new bat viewing platform beneath the northeast end of the bridge, will show the most bat watchers and columns of emerging bats.
Nearly half a million bats emerge from a spot close to the intersection of IH and McNeil. Head to North Interstate 35 Frontage Road in Round Rock with your blankets and something to cover you in case of any guano falling from the sky. Free parking is located nearby. Bracken Cave. In , the cave and land surrounding the cave came under the management of Bat Conservation International. Members have the opportunity to visit the cave certain times each year and the public can sign up for a few nights as part of a tour package with Natural Bridge Caverns.
Eckert James River Bat Cave. Tours run from Thursdays-Sundays from mid-May until late September. Some sunrise viewings of the bats returning from their nocturnal hunts are also offered. Old Tunnel State Park. The location near Barton Springs is convenient, but that means it can get busy during peak bat times. Capital Cruises. In addition to operating two large tour boats, Capital Cruises rents kayaks, canoes, SUPs and a giant floating swan! Located next to the Hyatt Regency, Capital Cruises also hosts several themed tours with magicians, fortune tellers and the Murder Mystery Players.
Texas Rowing Center. In addition, the Texas Rowing Center hosts the popular Latino Serenades, where kayakers paddle along with a barge full of musicians. While the bulk of the bat viewing activity occurs near the Congress Avenue bridge, you can also get a completely different perspective from points further east along Lady Bird Lake. You can watch the bats from the bridge just above the dam or along the hike and bike trail closer to the lakeshore.
The most convenient parking lot is right next to the bridge near the Austin American-Statesman office at South Congress Avenue. You can park here for only two hours, but that should be plenty of time for bat viewing if you arrive just before sundown. The bats generally take about 45 minutes to fully emerge from the bridge. There are also smaller free lots along Riverside Drive. In June, the mom bats of this species of Mexican free-tailed bats scientific name: Tadarida brasiliensis give birth to one tiny pup.
The pups are usually ready to fly by mid-August, which means the black cloud of bats emerging from the bridge is even more impressive during this time.
In fact, the size of the colony virtually doubles because almost all of the bats that roost at the bridge are female. A redesign of the bridge in created crevices on the underside of the structure that were the perfect size for cozy bat homes.
At the time, many Austin residents despised and feared the bats and tried to have the colony eradicated. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and now Austinites love their bat colony. The bats consume up to 20, pounds of bugs nightly. The newly renovated Line Hotel formerly the Radisson is ideally situated for bat viewing at the corner of Congress and Cesar Chavez.
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