The dodo bird is an extinct bird. The dodo came from Mauritius, which is a home of different plains, mountains and tropical deciduous forests, near the Indian Ocean. The dodo bird is part of the pigeon family.
The dodo bird has a long, hooked beak, with white feathers. This bird was last seen on an island in 1681. The scientific name of the dodo bird is Raphus Cucullatues. The dodo bird stood about three feet tall and weighs about 44 pounds. The legs of the dodo were short and broad. The dodo only had four toes, with three in the front and one in the back. The head has a light grey touch to it, with yellow eyes. The dodo beak was light green or yellow and became a very popular feature.
The Portuguese were the first individuals to discover the dodo bird.
The dodo birds were very greedy predators. They hunt mainly on fruits and fish. Sailors have seemed the dodos dive into water to hunt for fish.
The dodo bird was one of its kinds. The bird was fearless. But for one thing, they cannot fly. This was an easy prey for others.
Malaysian sailors had killed them and use them for head dressing in ceremonies. Moreover, humans have brought the dodo bird with other animals such as dogs and cats, which plundered the dodo nests. Soon the humans would destroy the forest with the dodo nests. Therefore, the populations of the dodo have lessened.
There were stories regarding the extinction of the dodo bird. In 1662, mariner Volkert Evertsz sighted the bird, while others sighted the bird in 1681.
There were numerous reports of mass destruction of the dodo bird. There were investigations dated back where limited evidence of human predation on these birds. Recent reports stated that the birds have been washed away from a storm.
The dodo bird was not the only bird from the Mauritian to be extinct. Of the 45 species, only 21 still lives. The dodo bird is well famous in their extinction. Numerous endangered specie organizations have used the dodo bird as their logo to promote protection of endangered animals. Such organizations include Jersey Zoological Park, and Durell Wildlife.
Dodo Bird
