The Dodo Bird

The dodo was a large flightless bird that inhabited the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. The early records of the bird are in the diaries and writings of the sailors and captains who landed on Mauritius in the 16th and 17th century. While it is not know exactly when the bird went extinct, it is believed to have happened in around 1681. All that we know presently about the dodo bird history is based on the writings and drawing of the sailors, as well as from the fossils excavated from the island.

Putting all the evidences together has resulted in a fairly accurate description of the bird dodo. They are said to have been a large, plump bird that was approximately 3 feet tall. It was covered in soft, gray feathers, with a plume of white at its tail. It had small wings that were too weak for flight. These wings were not used for flight, just like the penguins' wings. It had short, stubby legs that were yellow in color. Each leg culminated in four toes, three in front and one at the back, all with thick, black claws. It had small yellow eyes and a long, crooked and hooked beak, which was light green or pale yellow in color.

Dodo Bird Information

Among the many phrases in which the dodo finds a mention, there is reference to its walk, or rather 'waddle'. Its proportions didn't provide for a very dignified walk. In fact, to the sailors who landed on Mauritius, watching the apparently clumsy behavior was a source of entertainment. They were especially amused to watch a dodo attempt to escape in a hurry. Apart from this, most descriptions that emerge from the writing describe the dodo as a lazy, unintelligent animal. Apart from its large beak (and fearsome bite), it is believed to have no defenses against predators.

Once again, there is much speculation about the dodo's food habits. There are a few accounts of dodos wading in pools of water to catch fish. One of the fact about this bird that fascinated people then and now is that the bird often ate stones, which is now concluded as having aided its digestion.

Habitat: Mauritius has a large variety of biomes, such as plains, small mountains, forests and reefs all along the shores. The dodos are believed to have been primarily forest dwellers, though there are pictures and stories that place them along the shores of Mauritius. It believed to have built its nest deep in the forest, on the forest floor.

Extinction: The dodo stands as the archetype of an extinct species, as it became extinct during recorded human history. Its extinction was directly attributable to human activity. It is believed that the first group of sailors to arrive on Mauritius in 1507 were Portuguese led by Captain Mascaregnas. Following them, there were many more expeditions, including more Portuguese and Dutch, British and others, who found their way to the island or made stops there. To all those that arrived at the island, the dodos provided both amusement and food. In 1644, the Dutch colonized Mauritius and this time brought with them cats, dogs, swine and occasionally even monkeys. These animals invaded the woods, trampling the nests and eating their eggs and young. This, along with their extensive use as food, led to their total extinction by 1681.

After putting together all the dodo bird facts, still very little is known about this creature. Without really understanding them, they are commonly considered stupid and slow, and are accordingly referred to in phrases such as "dead as a dodo" and "to go the way of the dodo".