Congress Avenue Bridge
Austin, TX 78701
Phone:
- Cross Street:
- Riverside Drive
Editorial Review for Congress Avenue Bridge – by Andrea Loera
In Short
Approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats have made the underside of the Congress Avenue bridge their summer home. The bats began congregating after the bridge underwent structural changes in the '80s. Austinites reacted with fear until they learned that the bats consume between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of insects a night. The bats arrive in mid-March and return to their winter home in Mexico by November.
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Insider Tips
When to GoWhen the bat population is at its peak (in August, the newborn bats, or pups, begin foraging with their mothers), it may take up to 45 minutes for all the bats to go out on the prowl.
User Reviews for Congress Avenue Bridge
05/01/2006 Posted by abst14
My hotel was at the site of the "bats" so I went down and joined approximately 100 people (young, old, tourists, locals) We waited in a nice park and waited and waited and then out they came. A zillions little bats just kept coming out from under this bridge. I was very weird but cool. I'm glad I saw this because I could never have imagined what 1.5 million bats look like. I also never thought of bats as being "good" for society. We could use some mosquito eating bats in Miami. Wonder if they each roaches and toads.... I would plan it into your schedule. Even just being there doing nothing for 15 minutes before dusk is relaxing. If you have on comfortable clothes you can go for a nice walk or run on the lake (that looks like a river).
Pros: unique, unexpected, safe
Cons: quick, bad time of evening
12/19/2002 Posted by mylittleangel89
Be sure to bring a GOOD camera or you'll get pictures of hundreds of people staring at the bridge after sunset.... ;)
Pros: Inexpensive, Good Parking, much entertainment
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