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Welcome to Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
When Spanish explorers first saw the layers of hills northwest of
what is now Austin, Texas, they named the land Balcones. These
limestone hills and spring fed canyons make up most of the Balcones
Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, located north of Lake Travis. The
primary purpose of the refuge is to conserve the nesting habitat of the
endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. The
vegetation found in this area, known as the Texas Hill Country,
includes various oaks, elm, and ashe juniper trees (commonly called
cedar). The Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo depend on
different successional stages of this vegetation. Both of these birds
nest in Central Texas, the warbler exclusively.