BAT VIEWING SITES IN CENTRAL TEXAS
Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from Bracken Cave near San Antonio, Texas. Credit: Michael Durham_Minden Pictures /Bat Conservation International
Welcome to bat season, y’all! Technically speaking, bat season in Central Texas runs from March through October, but we’re at the peak of the season. Populations are peaking at millions, with nightly flights happening at dusk.
Ever been curious about the best places to catch a glimpse of local bat colonies? You’re in luck! We put together a guide on the best places in and around San Antonio and the Hill Country for some of the best bat viewing spots around.
Pro tip: Keep these spots in mind for September-October. Cooler weather means mass migrations and the best chance to see larger bats and their pups!
Did you know?
Texas happens to be the battiest state in the country. It is home to 32 of the 47 species of bats found in the United States. Not only does it hold the distinction of having the most kinds of bats, it also boasts the largest known bat colony in the world, Bracken Cave Preserve, near San Antonio, and the largest urban bat colony, Congress Avenue Bridge, in Austin. [TWPD]
Mexican free-tailed bats near San Antonio. Sarah Gerichten/Bat Conservation International
Bat-Watching Ettiquette:
When to arrive. What to expect.
- Realize that a bat emergence is not a predictable event. No one can be sure when bats will come out or if they will even come out at all. Go to the website for the bat viewing location you will be visiting to determine recent approximate emergence times.
No bright lights.
Keep your distance from the bats when they are emerging.
Most viewing sites have designated seating areas where you can view the bats comfortably out of the direct flight path of the bats. If viewing bats emerging from a bridge, avoid standing directly beneath the bridge and move to the side instead. Giving bats the space to fly minimizes disturbance to the bats and avoids any collisions.
Do not bother the bats!
Do not touch!
If you happen to find a bat on the ground, DO NOT TOUCH IT! For the safety of the bats and yourself, give the bat space and avoid contact. The bat could be a youngster learning to fly or an ill bat. Wild animals may bite when threatened. Bats, like other mammals, can contract rabies, but the vast majority do not. Please never touch or handle a bat. Notify the site’s manager or volunteer or call a local animal control office.
Shh!
Bracken Cave, on the northern outskirts of San Antonio, is home to the world's largest bat colony, with more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. It is a key maternity site for this species, and females congregate there each year to give birth and rear their young. Mexican free-tailed bats are an essential predator of corn earworm moths and other crop pests, and the Bracken colony alone is estimated to consume over 100 tons of these moths every summer night.
Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from James Eckert River Bat Cave in Texas. Photo: Michael Durham/Minden Pictures /Bat Conservation International
This unique preserve is home to 4 million to 6 million Mexican free- tailed bats and one of the largest concentrations of warm-blooded animals in the world.
Old Tunnel State Park is home to up to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and 1,000 to 3,000 cave myotis bats from May to October. This 920-foot, abandoned Fredericksburg and Northern Railway railroad tunnel was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the specific purpose of protection and management of the bats.
Bats emerging at Stuart Bat Cave. Photo: TPWD.
Stuart Bat Cave is a spring-summer home for about 1 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Bats are here from mid-February to as late as mid-October.
FRIO CAVE - CONCAN, TX (Privately owned)
View up to 10 million Mexican free-tailed bats, one of the largest colonies in Texas, as they make their ascent into the evening sky. This cave also provides the necessary elements mother bats need to give birth to and raise their pups each year. Hike to the top of the hill to witness one of nature's most incredible spectacles.
URBAN SITES:
Roger Ho / Do512
Congress Avenue Bridge - Austin, TX
It's common knowledge that Austin has bats, but did you know that we're home to the largest urban bat colony in the entirety of North America? Yep. More than 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats call the Congress Avenue Bridge their home. Nestled in the bridge’s underbelly, you can hear their chatter until they emerge in a dense and dramatic exodus at sunset to hunt for flying insects.
Camden Street Bridge / San Antonio River Authority
Camden Street Bridge - San Antonio
The San Antonio River is home for many species of wildlife. Nestled under the I-35 Bridge where it crosses the San Antonio River near Camden Street, a colony of approximately 50,000 male Mexican free-tailed bats roost during the summer months. Located along the Museum Reach segment of the San Antonio River Walk, the expansion joint under the concrete bridge is the perfect home for these nocturnal mammals who thrive on tight, cozy, and warm spaces. The colony's close proximity to the water of the San Antonio River gives the bats an open area to glide through when they emerge for their nightly feedings of agricultural pests.
Want to learn more about bats and where to find them? The Texas Parks & Wildlife website has plenty more info to share!
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