Photos: Bats take flight in Tucson
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Kelly Presnell
Photojournalist
- Updated
The Rillito River bike path beneath the Campbell Avenue bridge houses thousands of bats around the end of the summer.
At dusk, the bat colony takes flight to forage, which makes for an end-of-the-day spectacle.
Take a look at photos of Tucsonans admiring these creatures throughout the years.
Thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats swarm out from under the Campbell Ave. bridge over the Rillito River at sunset on Oct. 11, 2016.
While most of the crowd is out looking for dinner, several Mexican free-tailed bats still huddle in the crevices under the Campbell Ave. bridge over the Rillito River shortly after sunset on July 19, 2019.
A small crowd gathers in the Rillito River bed under the Campbell Ave. bridge to watch the nightly take-off the Mexican free-tailed bats on July 1, 2014.
A pedestrian stops to watch the evening launch of the hundreds of bats living under the Campbell Ave. bridge at the Rillito River on July 1, 2014.
Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from North Campbell Ave. bridge over the Rillito River July 12, 2008. The bats take flight just after sunset to feast on insects.
A bat nears the edge of its inch wide gap in the bridge beams under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on July 5, 2012.
Some of the estimated 40,000 bats fly around the Campbell Avenue bridge over the Rillito River at sunset Sept. 7, 2010.
Bats fly out from under the North Campbell Avenue bridge over the Rillito River just after sunset Tuesday June 22, 2004.
Spectators on the north side of the Rillito River watch as some of the estimated 5,000 bats which roost under the Campbell Avenue bridge take flight at sunset August 1, 2007.
Urban Wildlife Specialist Elissa Ostergaard of the Arizona Game and Fish Department shines a flashlight up into the Campbell Avenue bridge over the Rillito River walk to show Ann Forwood, middle, and Keith Bembenek, rear, where bats roost August 1, 2007.
A member of the crowd gets cell phone video of the nightly exodus of thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats from under the Campbell Ave. bridge over the Rillito River, Friday, July 19, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.Β Β
A handful of onlookers gather to learn about the colony of Mexican free-tailed bats under the Campbell Ave. bridge over the Rillito River just before nightfall.Β
People watches bats emerge from their roosts and swirl among the columns under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on Thursday, July 5, 2012 in Tucson, AZ.Β
A trail of some of the 40,000 Mexican free-tail bats colonizing the Campbell Bridge over the Rillito River make their home swarm into the stormy skies over Tucson, AZ., Sat., Sept. 12, 2009. The Rillito River Project's Bat Night enticed approximately 3,000 people out to see the bats take to the night.
A giant swarm of bats take to the skies at the Campbell Road bridge over the Rillito River, Thursday Sept. 10 2009 in Tucson, Ariz. Several thousand bats roost in the bridge, flying out around sunset to feed on insects.
John Newman shines a light on a Mexican free tail bat held by Debbie Buecher at the Campbell Road bridge over the Rillito River, Thursday Sept. 10 2009 in Tucson, Ariz. Several thousand bats roost in the bridge, flying out around sunset to feed on insects. Photo by Chris Coduto/For the Arizona Daily Star
Debbie Buecher uses an anabat bat detector to record and monitor a variety of bat calls in many frequencies, at the Campbell Road bridge over the Rillito River, Thursday Sept. 10 2009 in Tucson, Ariz. Several hundred bats roost in the bridge, flying out around sunset to feed on insects. Photo by Chris Coduto/For the Arizona Daily Star
A person takes photos as thousands of bats stream out from the Campbell Road bridge over the Rillito River, Thursday Sept. 10, 2009 in Tucson, Ariz. Several hundred bats roost in the bridge, flying out around sunset to feed on insects. Photo by Chris Coduto/For the Arizona Daily Star
Tucsonan Chris Fortier looks skyward as bats take to the skies at the Campbell Road bridge over the Rillito River, Thursday Sept. 10, 2009 in Tucson, Ariz. Several hundred bats roost in the bridge, flying out around sunset to feed on insects. Photo by Chris Coduto/For the Arizona Daily Star
Photographer Rick "RaVen" Hirschl shares photos he has of bats with a Arizona Sonora Desert Museum docent and passers by under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on Thursday, July 5, 2012 in Tucson, AZ. Photo by Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star.
The final tailings of bats emerge from their roosts under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on Thursday, July 5, 2012 in Tucson, AZ. Photo by Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star.
Bats emerge from their roosts under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on Thursday, July 5, 2012 in Tucson, AZ. Photo by Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star.
Kendra Mellenberndt, left, and Nick Ribhle wait and watch for the bats to make their initial appearance and emerge from their roosts under the Campbell Ave. bridge across the Rillito River on Thursday, July 5, 2012 in Tucson, AZ. Photo by Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star.
Cub Scout Pack 339 member Zachary Haas patrols the underside of the Rillito River Bridge at Campbell for the Rillito River Project's Bat Night, Tucson, AZ., Sat., Sept. 12, 2009, trying to keep the crowd noise from disturbing the 40,000 Mexican free-tail bats making it their summer home. Pack 339 also took up the duties of cleaning up after the crowd of 3,000 plus drifted away after watching the colony make its nightly swarm into the skies in search of insects.
Some of the crowd lines the railings of the Campbell Bridge over the Rillito River to get photos and watch the colony of 40,000 Mexican free-tail bats take flight during the Rillito River Project's Bat Night, Tucson, AZ., Sat., Sept. 12, 2009.
Stefanie Sardina points up to a group of bats as Julio Marquez looks on beneath the bridge where Campbell Ave crosses the Rillito River in Tucson, Ariz., Friday June 22, 2007. At left, is the couple's daughter Jasmine Barrios, 3. Each night, thousands of bats that sleep beneath the bridge during the day emerge and fly out in mass just after sunset. Photo by Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star
A large group of bats head out from their daytime home beneath the bridge where Campbell Ave crosses the Rillito River in Tucson, Ariz., Friday June 22, 2007. Each night, thousands of bats that sleep beneath the bridge during the day emerge and fly out in mass just after sunset. Photo by Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star
Bats fill the evening sky as they fly out from beneath the bridge where Campbell Ave crosses the Rillito River in Tucson, Ariz., Friday June 22, 2007. Each night, thousands of bats that sleep beneath the bridge during the day emerge and fly out in mass just after sunset. Photo by Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star Transmission
Mexican Free-Tailed bats roost under the Rillito River Bridge, Tuesday June 21, 2005 in Tucson, Ariz.Β
Kelly Presnell
Photojournalist
As featured on
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has canceled a popular bat-observation program.
