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It’s hard to imagine Austin without its bats. However, they didn’t arrive until 1982 when the expansion of the Congress Avenue Bridge fortuitously created a welcoming home for Mexican free-tailed bats, who are part-time Austin residents each year from spring until fall, when it starts getting a little too cold.
The largest urban bat colony in the world, this maternity colony raises about 750,000 baby bats, called “pups,” annually at the bridge.
To get a glimpse of the approximately 1.5 million bat residents, visit the Austin American-Statesman’s Bat Observation Area on the southeast side of Congress Avenue, ideally at sunset.
– Staff report, The Austin 100