The Painted Bunting is very pretty and colorful, like most South American birds. That kind of coloring blends in the jungle, but not too well in most of the climate zones here. I think it's coloring would make it very vulnerable to predators. I don't recall ever seeing one in the wild.
You're probably right. Nesting here after the leaves have fallen would be rather hazardous to their health.
Before we moved here a couple of years ago, my husband had built a 3 tiered pond. We had a whole flock of painted buntings, at first I thought someones pet birds had escaped!
We have plans for a pond here too - specifically designed with a shallow center section for a circulating 'birdbath'.