| Dodo | |
|---|---|
 restoration | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Subfamily: | Raphinae |
| Genus: | Raphus |
| Species: | Raphus cucullatus |
The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless pigeon-like bird that is nowadays extinct. This was a forest-dwelling bird of Mauritius that became extinct in the late 17th century. The dodo was closely related to the two species of solitaire bird. Although it was related to the pigeon, the dodo was larger than a wild turkey.
Appearance[]
Most representations show that the dodo's plumage was greyish or brownish with a whitish tail and wings, and its large black bill had a horny terminal cap.
A drawing of a dodo.
Nesting[]
The dodo laid one egg at a time. They did not build a nest, so the egg was left on the ground.
Extinction[]
Although the dodo had tough skin, European sailors slaughtered them to extinction in a matter of 50 years. The sailors also brought pigs and dogs to help kill off the birds.
Habites Of Dodo[]
Dodo birds were chubby and couldn't fly. They lived on the island of Mauritius a long time ago. These birds liked to eat fruits that fell from trees and nuts they found on the ground. Dodos were not picky eaters and enjoyed gobbling up different things.
Dodo birds were not very good at defending themselves. They didn't have many enemies on the island, so they didn't need to be tough.
They were calm and friendly birds, which made them easy for sailors to catch when they visited the island. Sadly, because people and new animals came to Mauritius, the dodos disappeared forever in the 17th century.