Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Zealand. Penguins can be up to about

3.5 feet (1 meter) tall. They live mainly

in Antarctica.

Extinct Flightless Birds

Some flightless birds are extinct, or completely

wiped out. Huge elephant birds

lived on the island of Madagascar, off

the east coast of Africa. These birds

sometimes reached a height of 10 feet (3

meters) and a weight of about 1,000

pounds (450 kilograms). Elephant birds

disappeared within the last 1,000 years.

Moas lived on the islands of New

Zealand. In about AD 1250 people

arrived and began to hunt them for

food. Moas died out by about 1350.

Dodos lived on Mauritius, an island in

the Indian Ocean. Sailors arrived in

about 1507 and began to hunt dodos.

The flightless birds made their nests on

the ground, so their eggs were unprotected,

too. Pigs and rats, which came

with the people, easily found the eggs

and ate them. Dodos became extinct by

about 1690.

#More to explore

Bird • Ostrich • Penguin

Two young emus graze in a field with an

adult.

The flightless kiwi lives in New Zealand.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Bird, Flightless 79

 

Bird of Prey

Several kinds of bird that eat animals

are known as birds of prey. Some

common birds of prey include eagles,

falcons, hawks, ospreys, owls, buzzards,

and vultures. Birds of prey are found all

over the world. They are sometimes

called raptors.

Birds of prey are usually large and

strong. Most are excellent hunters. Their

good eyesight helps them see prey from

far away. Most of the birds have hooked

beaks and sharp claws that are useful for

holding and killing prey. Most birds of

prey feed during the day and sleep at

night. Owls, however, hunt at night and

sleep during the day.

Birds of prey eat a great variety of animals.

Some kinds eat other birds. Some

eat insects, fish, rodents, snakes, frogs,

or other animals. A few kinds look for

animals that are already dead to eat.

Vultures, for instance, hardly ever hunt

live animals.

Many birds of prey keep the same mate

for their whole lives. Most kinds build

nests in trees, on ledges of cliffs, or on

the ground. They usually lay one to

four eggs. Owls, however, may lay up

to 12 eggs at a time. Most eggs are

white or greenish in color and have

spots.

Birds of prey are helpful to people

because they eat dead animals and kill

rodents and other pests. But some

people kill the birds. They fear the birds

will eat their livestock. And over the

years people have cut down many trees.

This has limited the areas where the

birds can live and find food. Chemicals

that people use to kill pests have also

harmed birds of prey. Several kinds are

in danger of dying out, or becoming

extinct.

#More to explore

Bird • Endangered Species

The common buzzard uses its claws to

grasp prey and its beak to tear flesh.

A screech owl holds a frog it has

just caught.

80 Bird of Prey BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Bishkek

Population

(1999 census)

762,308

Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, a

country of central Asia. Rivers flow on

two sides of the city center. Bishkek is

the largest city in Kyrgyzstan. It is also

the country’s center of culture and

industry. Factories in Bishkek make

machines and work metals.

Bishkek began in 1825. In that year the

ruler of the Uzbek people built a fort on

the site. A town gradually grew up

around the fort. The Russians captured

it in 1862. In 1926 the city became the

capital of the newly created Kyrgyz

republic of the Soviet Union. The Soviets

called the city Frunze. In 1991 Kyrgyzstan

became an independent country.

The city remained the capital, but it was

renamed Bishkek.

..More to explore

Kyrgyzstan

Bismarck

Population

(2000 census)

55,532; (2007

estimate)

59,503

Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state

of North Dakota. The city lies on the

Missouri River. Bismarck is the state’s

center of business and finance. It is also

a center for the sale of grain and livestock.

Native American groups lived in the

region for thousands of years. In the

1830s the site of Bismarck became a

river port called “Crossing on the Missouri.”

The U.S. Army built a fort on the site in

1872. A settlement sprang up near the

fort. It was named Bismarck in 1873.

The following year gold was discovered

in what is now South Dakota. Many

gold seekers bought equipment in Bismarck

before setting out on their adventures.

The city grew in population and

wealth.

In 1883 Bismarck became the capital of

the Dakota Territory. In 1889 the territory

was split into two states—North

An elderly man walks past a government

building in Bishkek.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Bismarck 81

 

and South Dakota. Bismarck became

North Dakota’s capital.

#More to explore

North Dakota

Bison

Bison are the largest land mammals in

North America and Europe. There are

two species, or types, of bison: the

American bison and the European

bison. The animal commonly called the

American buffalo is actually the American

bison. It is also called the plains

bison. The European bison is also called

the wisent. The true buffalo are a different

group of animals found in Africa

and Asia. Bison are closely related to

buffalo, cattle, and yaks.

Where Bison Live

Both types of bison once existed in