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Welcome to Bat City

Congress Avenue Bridge

Austin's most spectacular natural wonder. The largest urban bat colony in the world — and Austin Bat Refuge has been your trusted guide here for over a decade.

Up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats · Every evening March–October · Free to watch

When are the bats flying?

Our start of flight time prediction for Saturday, November 7, 2026 is between

5:30pm –6:00 pm

Given that winds stay low & little chance of rain. Sunset at 5:39 pm. Chance for a great flight tonight, but will likely be just a few minutes before dark. There was a significant partial migration last night, with ~500k leaving Congress and others arriving from the north. Flight Time Conditions predicted to be Chance of Rain 18%, Temperature 66°F, Winds NNE at 7 mph

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Given the right conditions, bats will generally emerge around sunset these days. Times vary depending on cloud cover; cloudy nights usually see earlier flights, while clear skies can make for later flights. Bats can sometimes bust out a half hour earlier on the first night of cold fronts from the N, so get there early on those evenings. Temps below 60°F, Non-Northerly Winds over 10 mph, Good Rain Chances, or Waxing Gibbous to Full Moons can suppress or diminish flights.

Updated daily by Austin Bat Refuge staff · Last updated November 7, 2026

Friday, November 6, 2026

Last Night's Flight at a Glance

Flight started at 5:34 pm

Starting 6 minutes before sunset, a snapshot at 6:10 pm showed 544,236 in migratory mode- some heading 12 miles SSW with many more heading 30 miles S (only ~3 of the total at altitude) on NW Winds at 6 mph - had been NW 8-9 mph most of the afternoon, Visibility 10 miles, Mostly Cloudy, Temperature 66°F, Dew Point 54° rising, 0 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 2736', RH 65% rising, Heat Index N/A°F, BP 30.06 rising, Sea Level Pressure 1017.6 rising, bats viewable only until 6:05 pm under streetlights

The bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great. A significant migration occurred on Nov 6, 2026

Visitor Tips

Make the Most of Bat Night

  • Arrive 30–45 minutes before predicted flight time — prime spots fill fast on weekends
  • South side, east railing gives the closest view as bats emerge heading east down the river
    • Better when bats fly well before dark
  • The free viewing lawn below on the south bank is great for families with chairs
    • Better when bats fly close to dark, as one can backlight the bats against lights in buildings
  • Look for our education table on Saturday nights.
  • Bring a light jacket in late fall — evenings cool quickly after sunset
  • Bats usually don't emerge on cold or rainy nights — check the flight prediction above first
  • Use night mode on your phone — flash doesn't help and bothers the bats
  • Bright lights will shut down the flights - Don't use bright lights
The Colony

The World's Most Famous Urban Bats

Beneath the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge lives a colony of approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) — the largest urban bat colony in the world and one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife spectacles on the planet.

Each evening from March through October, the bats pour out from the bridge's expansion joints in a swirling, undulating stream that can last up to 45 minutes. The sky darkens with wings. It is, simply, unforgettable.

Austin Bat Refuge is the only organization with up-close experience at this site. We've staffed the public education table at the bridge every weekend for over a decade.

Mexican Free-Tailed Bat · Tadarida brasiliensis

Watch Them Fly

The same species that fills the Congress Avenue Bridge every evening — filmed in flight. One and a half million emerge each night in a stream that lasts up to 45 minutes.

Photography

The Colony in Photos

Rescued bat resting calmly in a caregiver's gloved hand during a health check Close-up of a bat in care, mouth open, held gently by a gloved caregiver A hairless newborn bat pup in the care of Austin Bat Refuge Bats roosting closely together in a narrow bridge expansion joint Bats flying through cypress tree branches near Congress Avenue Bridge Massive bat swarm streaming into the sky above the treeline at dusk Bats skimming low over Lady Bird Lake at sunset Crowd of visitors watching bats emerge from Congress Avenue Bridge Silhouetted crowd watching the bat colony emerge against an orange sunset sky Spectators lining Congress Avenue Bridge as bats stream out from the arches below Bat colony swirling into a blue evening sky above Congress Avenue Bridge Bats emerging beneath a vivid orange sunset sky at Congress Avenue Bridge Bat colony spiraling into the twilight sky above the bridge and trees Bats flying past a crescent moon in a clear blue sky Golden sunset silhouette of the bat colony emerging over Congress Avenue Bridge Bats streaming past the downtown Austin skyline at dusk S-curve ribbon of bats rising into the sunset sky above Congress Avenue Bridge Bat colony emerging into a dramatic orange and purple sunset sky
Getting There

Three Main Viewing Spots

All three spots are free, family-friendly, and within 100 yards of each other. You cannot get a bad view — pick the one that fits your group.

  1. 1

    The Bridge Railing (South Side)

    The closest view — bats emerge from expansion joints directly below your feet. Stand at the southeast railing for the best angle as the colony heads east downstream. Fills up fast; arrive early on weekends. Best when bats fly well before dark. When they fly at dark, dark bats against dark water is not the best view.
  2. 2

    Free Bat Viewing Area (South Bank)

    A dedicated lawn below the bridge on the south bank of Lady Bird Lake is the most dependable location to get a good view. More relaxed, great for families with blankets and folding chairs. Our education table is here every Saturday. Bats are backlighted by buildings on evenings when they fly after dark.
  3. 3

    Lady Bird Lake by Kayak

    Several operators launch bat-watching boats and kayaks from the Congress Avenue dock. Watch a million bats swirl overhead from the water — an unforgettable perspective.
Recent Flights

Last Week's Flights

Flight times and conditions for the last seven nights at Congress Avenue Bridge.

DayDateFlight TimeCongress Ave Bridge Snapshot / Flight-time Conditions
Friday 6 Nov 2026 5:34 pm Starting 6 minutes before sunset, a snapshot at 6:10 pm showed 544,236 in migratory mode- some heading 12 miles SSW with many more heading 30 miles S (only ~3 of the total at altitude) on NW Winds at 6 mph - had been NW 8-9 mph most of the afternoon, Visibility 10 miles, Mostly Cloudy, Temperature 66°F, Dew Point 54° rising, 0 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 2736', RH 65% rising, Heat Index N/A°F, BP 30.06 rising, Sea Level Pressure 1017.6 rising, bats viewable only until 6:05 pm under streetlightsThe bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great. A significant migration occurred on Nov 6, 2026
Thursday 5 Nov 2026 5:49 pm Starting 9 minutes after sunset, a snapshot at 6:16 pm showed 219,308 in flight - some heading 4 miles NW with most heading 16 miles SE (29,722 of the total at altitude) on S Winds at 5 mph - had been southerly 6-10 mph all afternoon with gusts to 18 mph around 2:30pm , Visibility 10 miles, A Few Clouds, Temperature 73°F, Dew Point 60° rising, 3 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 2964', RH 64% rising, Heat Index N/A°F, BP 29.89 rising, Sea Level Pressure 1011.8 rising, bats viewable only until 6:27 pm under streetlightsThe bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great
Wednesday 4 Nov 2026 5:42 pm Starting 1 minute after sunset, a snapshot at 6:18 pm showed 312,182 in flight - some heading 6 miles NW with most heading 14 miles E (19,143 of them at altitude) into SE Winds at 3 mph - had been Light & Variable all afternoon , Visibility 10 miles, Fair, Temperature 71°F, Dew Point 53° rising, 1 Cooling Degree Day, Cloud Base 4104', RH 53% rising, Heat Index N/A°F, BP 29.90 steady, Sea Level Pressure 1012.2 rising, bats viewable only until 6:21 pm under streetlightsThe bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great
Tuesday 3 Nov 2026 5:34 pm Starting 8 minutes before sunset a snapshot at 6:06 pm showed a jaw-dropping 951,178 heading 24 miles SE (36,170 of them at altitude) on NW Winds at 5 mph - had been NW 8-12 mph all afternoon , Visibility 10 miles, A Few Clouds, Temperature 75°F, Dew Point 52° steady, 6 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 5244', RH 45% rising, Heat Index 78°F, BP 29.90 rising, Sea Level Pressure 1011.9 rising, bats viewable only until 6:13 pm under streetlightsBats came busting out in an incredible display, thanks to the NW Winds. They looking like animated calligraphy making their way down the river. The bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great
Monday 2 Nov 2026 5:48 pm Starting 5 minutes after sunset a snapshot at 6:43 pm showed 50,227 in flight - some heading 6 miles W with most heading 8 miles NW (4,021 of the total at altitude) on S Winds at 7 mph - had been S 10-15 mph all afternoon with gusts to 24 mph around 1:30pm, Visibility 10 miles, Overcast, Temperature 81°F, Dew Point 68° steady, 10 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 2964', RH 65% rising, Heat Index 84°F, BP 29.83 rising, Sea Level Pressure 1009.0 rising, bats viewable only until 6:43 pm under streetlightsThe bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great
Sunday 1 Nov 2026 5:36 pm Starting 7 minutes before sunset a snapshot at 6:30 pm showed 298,336 in flight - some heading 16 miles NE with most heading 18 miles SE (11,017 of the total at altitude) on S Winds at 5 mph - had been Light & Variable most of the afternoon , Visibility 10 miles, Mostly Cloudy, Temperature 77°F, Dew Point 66° rising, 8 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 2504', RH 69% rising, Heat Index 79°F, BP 30.03 steady, Sea Level Pressure 1016.0 steady, bats viewable only until 6:05 pm under streetlightsThe bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark (and they have been lately), the top of the bridge could be great
Saturday 31 Oct 2026 6:40 pm 482,490 total flew Starting 4 minutes before sunset a snapshot at 6:55 pm showed 210,861 heading 14 miles W (2,576 at altitude) while a later snapshot at 7:21 pm showed another 271,629 heading 18 miles SSE (6,563 at altitude) Winds Calm - had been Calm most of the afternoon , Visibility 10 miles, Partly Cloudy, Temperature 73°F, Dew Point 66° rising, 7 Cooling Degree Days, Cloud Base 1596', RH 79% steady, Heat Index 81°F, BP 30.05 steady, Sea Level Pressure 1016.9 rising, bats viewable only until 7:11 pm under streetlightsStill good viewing (even if flying close to dark), when viewed from under the bridge on the SE side. the bats are now fattening up on reverse-migrating moths; a critical food source that fuels their migration - If they fly more than 10 minutes before dark, the top of the bridge could be great

Fall Migration 2025: We estimate between 80,000 to 100,000 bats overwintered at the bridge and up to 300k in Austin. Jan 9 – 98,766 flew – some 6 miles WSW with most heading 10 miles ESE Dec 28 ~166,474 foraged locally Dec 18 ~148,790 bats flew (86,450 of those migrated) Dec 10 ~12,780 flew 12 miles SSE. Nov 25 ~389,900 flew with 85,300 of those in migration. Nov 24 a snapshot showed 1,562,494 in flight Nov 10 ~88,570 migrated. Nov 7 ~837,350 flew on a north front, some foraging locally – most migrated. Oct 28 partial migration of ~581,00. Oct 21 200,000 in first partial migration.

More on the Statesman Re-development at bottom of page

Much of the info below is four years old now. It accurately reflects our feelings at the time, but we're in the process of updating it

The TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) that was to fund much of the infrastructure in the South Central Waterfront district has been shot down by the courts (See Austin American-Statesman article about what is happening on their former location at bottom of page). This tool, normally used to re-develop blighted areas, was touted as a way to pay for amenities in the upscale SCW, but now that vision has gotten a wake-up call from the courts and is once more up for negotiation between developers and the taxpayers.

The Trinity Bridge: Project Connect has settled on the Trinity Bridge option, but we leave our opinion below: We do not know all the implications of the separate design options for Project Connect and the potential light rail bridge crossing Town Lake. But strictly speaking from the bat’s perspective: We are not in favor of a proposed Trinity St bridge (pictured below in the path of the bat flight) We feel it could inhibit the Congress Avenue Bridge bats from exiting the city, endangering what might be a $20 million / year economic engine for the City of Austin. Do we want to lose them by walling them in with high-rises of the South Central Waterfront to the south, the existing high-rises to the north, and the ever growing Rainey St wall, while adding the proposed Trinity St bridge to the east, directly in their flight path? We would prefer the First St bridge options (the black line to the west of Congress Avenue Bridge) for any light rail river crossing, so as not to squeeze the bats even further. Considering all the river development in a holistic manner is imperative. The Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative (CAUDI), the Statesman PUD, proposed Trinity St bridge, & Rainey St, may be happening concurrently, and the existing Line – 4 Seasons high rises will complete the box. Do we know the combined effect?

Map of proposed Trinity St and First St light-rail bridge options, with the Congress Avenue Bridge bat flight path, the Statesman PUD and Rainey St high-rises marked

The wall of high-rises at Rainey Street is almost impenetrable for bats as it is. Has environmental revue considered the bats in their review process? The city did not require environmental impact surveys for wildlife in the Statesman re-development permit process, so it seems likely they won’t for any light-rail projects. Will the height of the proposed Trinity St. bridge inhibit the bats from using the river as an exit corridor from the city? Has environmental revue considered the height of the bat flight as they pass that point of the river? The proposed Trinity St bridge could be the last-straw impediment for the Congress bats using the river as an exit corridor, in an increasingly urban canyon. Why are they proposing over 100 year-old technology, with electrical line above the bridge feeding the power to the train cars? Surely we've made some progress since Bonnie & Clyde's days, when similar train cars traversed bridges over the Trinity River in West Dallas in 1920. Is their a design plan to mitigate bat strikes on the Trinity crossing option? Another implication of the re-development part of this is that the boathouse at Waller Creek will have to be moved, with the likely new location creating more development on the south shore in front of the Oracle campus. For all these reasons, we urge you to support the First St Bridge options for Project Connect. Voice your opinion before 05May2023 at https://publicinput.com/lightrailopenhouse We would love to see the airport connected by light rail, but why is there no First St. bridge option connecting to ABIA? In other news, The Statesman newspaper is now gone Start date for demolition and construction on the site could be as early as Oct 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know

"Never Handle a Grounded Bat"
Bats at the bridge pose virtually no risk to viewers standing on the bridge or in the viewing area. They are incredibly skilled fliers and will not fly into you intentionally. Never attempt to touch a bat on the ground, a bat that can be touched could bite in self-defense. The signs that read "Never Handle a Grounded Bat" have kept thousands of visitors safe every night for over 45 years.
What kind of bats live under the bridge?
The colony is composed almost entirely of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), a migratory species that winters in Mexico and summers in Central Texas. The females arrive in spring, give birth to pups in June, and mostly depart in October.
Is there a fee to watch the bats?
Watching from the bridge or the free viewing area is entirely free, but parking at the Bat Viewing Area parking lot costs $22-$39 for 3 hours (minimum time). Bat-watching tours are offered by various operators along the waterfront if you'd prefer a guided experience on the water.
When is the best time of year to visit?
March and April - August, September, and October
Flights from the third week of July extending through September offer the largest colony sizes — pups are flying, mothers are active, and the evenings are still warm. The colony begins arriving in late February to early March and viewing is excellent as bats emerge well before dark through mid-May. Starting in mid-May, flights times become close to, or after dark, as the bats get more cautious toward maternity season. Average date of birth is June 10th and bat mums are engaged in intense maternity care through June 20th. Once the pups are flying, around the third week in July, flights becoming reliably before dark as our normal dry season causes the bats to leave earlier to search long and hard for limited prey. The colony  starts departing in October, but good viewing can continue well into December.

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