Sunday 10 September 2000

American Bison (Bison bison)

OTHER NAMES: Bison, Buffalo
Latin Etymology: Bison ("bison") bison ("bison")

Herd of American Bison (Bison bison) in British Columbia, Canada - August 2024


Featured Subspecies: Wood Bison - Bison bison athabascae
Weight: 318-1179kg  /  Length: 2.8-3.5m
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

A species which shapes both North American Nature and History, before European Colonialism the Bison was a key species of the prairie, with a population of up to 60 million individuals shaping both the habitat, the species around them and being a core food of the Indiginous peoples who hunted them. However, they were hunted on an industrial scale by the nascent United States - first for food, and later as an indirect means of attacking Indiginous Tribes by cutting off their traditional food sources. Only some last minute conservation efforts saved the species and it remains greatly diminished despite some recovery.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Bison
SUBSPECIES: B. b. athabascae, B. b. bison

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Scattered herds in Western Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in British Columbia

UNITED STATES - Scattered populations in the Central US and Alaska
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Plains Bison seen in North Dakota


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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