Congress Avenue Bridge

Bat Bridge Sunset

Monday, April 13 in Austin. Plan your arrival around sunset for the best chance to catch the emergence stream.

Season StatusActive

March through October is the primary viewing season when the bridge colony is consistently active at dusk.

Estimated Emergence In

18Hours

45Minutes

25Seconds

Tonight's target: 8:16 PM

Mexican free-tailed bats typically begin streaming out around 20 minutes after sunset.

Sunset

7:56 PM

Emergence Estimate

8:16 PM

Best Arrival

7:46 PM

Tips For Tonight

Arrive 30 minutes early

Parking and sidewalks fill quickly near sunset, especially on warm weekends and festival nights.

Expect a rolling emergence

The first wave can start around 20 minutes after sunset, then intensify for 30-60 minutes.

Weather changes visibility

Clear and calm nights usually produce the longest visible stream. Cloud cover can hide the flight path.

Bring water and bug spray

Evening humidity is high around the lake. Lightweight layers and mosquito protection make it easier to stay.

Bat Facts

Estimated colony size: ~1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats in peak season
Scale: One of the largest urban bat colonies in North America
Nightly impact: Consumes tons of insects through the warm season
Migration pattern: Most bats migrate south from late fall through winter

7-Day Emergence Outlook

Sunset and emergence times are astronomical calculations for Austin. Visibility is a modeled cloud estimate.

Estimated conditions

Mon

Apr 13

Today

Sunset: 7:56 PM
Emergence: 8:16 PM
Arrive by: 7:46 PM

Partly Cloudy Visibility: Good

Cloud cover estimate: 56%

Tue

Apr 14

Sunset: 7:57 PM
Emergence: 8:17 PM
Arrive by: 7:47 PM

Clear Visibility: Excellent

Cloud cover estimate: 33%

Wed

Apr 15

Sunset: 7:58 PM
Emergence: 8:18 PM
Arrive by: 7:48 PM

Clear Visibility: Excellent

Cloud cover estimate: 14%

Thu

Apr 16

Sunset: 7:58 PM
Emergence: 8:18 PM
Arrive by: 7:48 PM

Clear Visibility: Excellent

Cloud cover estimate: 6%

Fri

Apr 17

Sunset: 7:59 PM
Emergence: 8:19 PM
Arrive by: 7:49 PM

Clear Visibility: Excellent

Cloud cover estimate: 9%

Sat

Apr 18

Sunset: 7:59 PM
Emergence: 8:19 PM
Arrive by: 7:49 PM

Clear Visibility: Excellent

Cloud cover estimate: 21%

Sun

Apr 19

Sunset: 8:00 PM
Emergence: 8:20 PM
Arrive by: 7:50 PM

Partly Cloudy Visibility: Good

Cloud cover estimate: 37%