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Facts About Dodo Bird: 6 Interesting Things You Need To Know

Are you a bird enthusiast? Have you ever heard about Dodo Bird? Dodo name of a pigeon-like flightless bird that was endemic to the Island of Mauritius. These birds became extinct in 1688. The dodo bird’s scientific name is Raphus Cucullatus. It is larger than a turkey and has blue-gray feathers, small wings, and a big head. And it is also said that the Dodo bird can lay a single egg simultaneously. Whether it’s due to hunting by humans or introducing new species, these Dodo birds left the Earth 200 years ago. However, we have tried to bring you some facts about Dodo bird in this blog post.

Read on to know more…

Here are a few interesting facts about the dodo bird. 

Origin Of Dodo Bird

The dodo bird’s origin is a mystery. But it is said that they inhabited the small volcanic Island of Mauritius, located around 500 miles east of Madagascar. And it is also believed that the Dodo’s ancestors landed on the Island as giants and eventually lost their ability to fly. In 1598, Dutch claimed Mauritius, which is when these birds got discovered. As per the records, these flightless birds were last seen in 1662. 

Dodo Bird’s Appearance

Based on the Dodo bird’s anatomy, scientists say these birds look like turkeys or chickens. The Dodo bird has strong long legs, a large beak, gray-brown feathers, and a big head. It was about 27 inches (70 centimeters) tall and weighed about 23 kgs. Male Dodo birds are a bit larger and heavier than females. 

Interesting Facts About Dodo Bird | Credit: Aunt_Spray

Dodo’s Could Not Fly 

Dodo’s ancestors landed on the beautiful Island. As the Island became a habitat for them with no predators, they no longer needed to escape to the other place. And during the process of evolution, they lost the ability to fly and evolved into turkey-like birds. 

Dodo Can Lay One Egg At A Time

Dodo birds can lay a single egg at a time. There are probably no natural predators, so they are strictly unnecessary to produce more. Based on scientific research, Dodo chicks were likely to hatch in August and then grow fast, which might be because chicks need to grow to adult size before the cyclones hit the Island (which occurs between November and March). 

How Did The Dodo’s Go Extinct? 

Until the Dutch settlers arrived, there were no enemies for Dodo birds. The sailors and Dutchmen who settled on the Island decimated the Dodo population by killing and eating them. Thus, Dodo’s went extinct around 1688. 

There Are Few Dodo Specimens

There are few Dodo specimens of that period preserved:

  • A head and a foot in the Oxford Museum of Natural History
  • A leg in the National Museum of Prague
  • Skull in University of Copenhagen Zoological Museum 

Bottom Line

Dodo birds are one of the most famous creatures that went extinct quickly. Earlier, scientists thought that the Dodo bird’s existence was a myth; however, they were real. I hope you’ve learned some interesting facts about Dodo birds through this blog post.

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