AUSTIN

World's Largest Urban Bat Colony


Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge

Austin, TX 78704

Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known as Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over the picturesque Lady Bird Lake and is home to the world's largest urban bat colony which is comprised of Mexican free-tailed bats.According to Bat Conservation International, between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats reside beneath the road deck in the structure's concrete gaps from March to October (migration to Mexico occurs during the winter). Tourists flock to Austin annually to see the bats emerge each evening at dusk, flying eastward to feed themselves. They can be seen from the bridge, riversides, boats, and grassy knoll public viewing area at 305 South Congress Avenue.

Bat Conservation International

Bat Caves of Texas A tour of some of the best viewing spots in Texas for Mexican free-tailed bats. Meet a bat up close and get an inside view of how bats live. Bat Caves of Texas