Painted Bunting Loop

The Painted Bunting Loop climbs from the Guadalupe River bottomland into the upland Hill Country terrain where Ashe juniper and live oak woodlands harbor one of the most spectacular birds in North America. The painted bunting, sometimes described as the most colorful bird on the continent, breeds in dense brushy habitats precisely like those traversed by this trail, and summer visits offer a genuine chance of encountering this extraordinary species in its natural Hill Country stronghold.

Males defend territories from prominent perches in the juniper canopy, their brilliant red, blue, and green plumage visible from considerable distance. Their song is a bright, whistled warble delivered persistently from early morning through midday. Black-capped vireos also nest in the scrubby oak habitat along the upper portions of the loop, their raspy, questioning song another sought-after sound for visiting birders. The trail climbs onto a limestone ridge where views extend across the Guadalupe River valley and the surrounding juniper-covered hills, providing context for the vast scale of the Hill Country landscape. White-tailed deer are abundant, and wild turkeys strut through the upland clearings in groups. Golden-cheeked warblers nest in the mature Ashe juniper stands, another federally endangered species that finds critical breeding habitat in the Hill Country. The loop provides an excellent combination of river bottomland and upland terrain.