Witness one of Arizona’s most unique natural spectacles: see hundreds of migrating turkey vultures coming down to roost in late afternoon, followed by hundreds to thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from beneath a bridge around sunset!
Each migration period, hundreds of vultures descend to roost in trees next to the Wickenburg pedestrian bridge over the Hassayampa River bed, while thousands of bats emerge from under the adjacent Hwy. 60 bridge. Visitors will have the chance to see both natural spectacles in one evening at this free, family-friendly event! Multiple organizations and agencies will have interactive tables with educational activities, ranger-guided tours of the bat habitats under the bridge, and opportunities to meet ‘Mojo’ the rescued turkey vulture and other rehabilitated ambassador raptors from Wild at Heart. Optics will be available for a closer look at the roosting turkey vultures. Local food vendors will be present. Parking and other amenities are located in the historic downtown Wickenburg within easy walking distance of the pedestrian bridge. The bridge is wheelchair-accessible. For more information, contact the Town of Wickenburg Recreation Department at 928-668-0552.
Partner organizations include Town of Wickenburg, Maricopa County Parks and the Hassayampa River Preserve, Friends of Hassayampa, Wickenburg Conservation Foundation, Arizona Game & Fish Department, Wild at Heart, Arizona Bat Rescue, Sonoran Audubon, Maricopa County Master Naturalists, Maricopa County Environmental Services, and the Flood Control District of Maricopa County.