Buffalo are large, wild bovids, including the Cape and Water Buffalo of Africa and Asia, and the American Bison. They are herbivores, meaning their diet consists entirely of plant matter. Their survival depends on efficiently processing large volumes of coarse vegetation found within diverse habitats, from the African savanna to the North American plains. This diet sustains their immense size and provides the energy needed for their behaviors.
Primary Food Sources
The majority of a buffalo’s diet is composed of graminoids, which are grasses and grass-like plants. They are classified as bulk grazers, primarily consuming these low-growing plants throughout the day. For American Bison, this includes prairie grasses such as buffalo grass, blue grama, and western wheatgrass. They typically ingest a large volume of this fibrous material, averaging about 1.6 percent of their body mass in dry vegetation daily.
While grasses are the staple, buffalo consume other plant types when grasses are scarce or during seasonal changes. This opportunistic consumption includes forbs (broad-leaved flowering plants) and sedges. When primary grasses dry out or are buried under snow, they may shift to browsing, eating the leaves and twigs of woody shrubs. Depending on availability, they may consume a diverse range of over 200 plant species.
Diet Variation by Species and Habitat
The specific diet varies significantly between species and the ecosystems they inhabit. The African Cape Buffalo, for instance, is a less selective grazer, consuming large quantities of coarse, tall grasses. Their digestive system is adapted to process this lower-quality bulk, and they are highly dependent on reliable water sources.
In contrast, the American Bison is highly adapted to the seasonal extremes of the prairie and is a more efficient grazer of short, dry grasses. During the harsh North American winter, bison use their massive heads to sweep snow away, uncovering dormant grass and moss beneath. Most buffalo species must transition from lush, protein-rich fresh grasses in the wet season to dry fodder and limited browsing in the dry or cold months.
Feeding Habits and Digestion
Buffalo are ruminant animals, possessing a specialized four-chambered stomach essential for extracting nutrients from fibrous plants. The process begins with rapid grazing, where they use their wide muzzles and lower incisor teeth to crop large mouthfuls of grass. The vegetation is swallowed quickly and stored in the largest chamber, the rumen, where microbes begin the breakdown of tough cellulose.
After initial feeding, the buffalo enters a period of rumination, or “chewing the cud,” where partially digested food is regurgitated and re-chewed. This mechanical action further breaks down the plant matter, which is then re-swallowed for deeper microbial fermentation. Buffalo typically spend around 10 hours a day grazing and require daily water intake to facilitate this complex digestive process.