The Bats of Congress Avenue Bridge
Austin’s main attraction isn’t always rock stars. The Bats of the Congress Avenue Bridge are the star attractions every evening when they fly out from under the bridge by the thousands in search of bugs. When the bridge was reconstructed in the 1980s there was no inkling that this spot would become the largest urban bat colony in North America. These Mexican free-tailed bats migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosting sites throughout the southwestern United States, their favorite being here in Austin. Out of the 1.5 million bats in this colony most are females who produce one offspring each June. Every night they eat somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of insects. You can catch their dramatic exit into the night from March to early November, but the best months are July and August. The best spots for viewing the bat flight are the Bat Observation Area at the Austin American-Statesman (at the southeast corner of the Congress Avenue Bridge), the patio at TGIF’s (at the Radisson Hotel, 11 E. 1st St.), on Lady Bird Lake from a canoe (rent from Zilker Park Boat Rentals for $10 an hour, www.zilkerboats.com), or on an authentic double-decker paddle-wheel riverboat (Lone Star Riverboat, 512/327-1388, $8 per person). The best time for viewing is sunset, and parking is offered at the Austin American-Statesman after 6 p.m. No public restrooms are available. For more information on the bats, such as flight times, call the Bat Hotline at 512/416-5700, ext. 3636.