Dodo Birds
The bird that had no predators - lessons in extinction
Dodo birds (Raphus cucullatus), are extinct
flightless birds that lived on the island of Mauritius (an island in the
Indian Ocean). Descriptions of the bird are from accounts written in the
diaries of sailors and captains who landed on the island in the 16th and
17th centuries. The dodo was a large, chubby bird (bigger than a turkey
and about 50 pounds), covered with grey feathers and a plume of white on
its tail. It had tiny wings that were too weak to lift the dodo off the
ground. Many thought the dodo didn't even have wings, but studies of the
skeleton show that the dodo did have wings, they were just useless for
flight. The dodo's legs were short, stubby, and yellow. On the end of
their legs were four toes, all thick black claws, three in front and one
like a thumb in back. The head was a lighter grey than the body, with
small, yellow eyes. Their beaks were crooked and hooked, and light green
or pale yellow. It was one of the most distinguishing features of the
dodo. Researchers have also found that the dodo's brain was
proportionate to it's body, similar to modern day pigeons, meaning it
probably wasn't as dumb as history has made it out to be!
Portuguese sailors first arrived on Mauritius in 1507 and the Dutch
colonized the island in 1644. The funny-looking and clumsy dodo was
amusing to the sailors but became food (albeit not very tasty) when the
sailors ran out. Predators were also introduced to the island as cats,
dogs, pigs, and monkeys were brought on ships. These animals invaded the
forests where the dodo lived, trampled their nests, and ate their eggs.
The arrival of humans, their appetites, and domestic animals led to the
total extinction of the dodo by 1681.