Here is what is known about the dodo bird.
The dodo bird reportedly became extinct around 300 years ago. However, there are many interesting things to know about the flightless bird. Here are some fascinating things about the dodo bird you may not be aware of.
The dodo lived on Mauritius
The dodo was discovered in Mauritius, which is part of a chain of islands east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Over time, it lost its need and ability to fly as it lived in the area undisturbed for so long. It lived and nested on the ground and ate fruits that had fallen from trees. The birds lived and nested on the ground. They would also consume the fruits that would fall from the trees. The discovery was made sometime around 1598 by Dutch sailors.
Origin of the dodo’s name
There were reportedly 78 words for the bird by the 17th century. Because the dodo bird's flesh was tough, the Dutch referred to it as walghvodel. However, the name that stuck was derived from the ancient Portuguese word dondo, which means fool. This was according to a book called Return of the Crazy Bird by Clara Pinto-Correia.
The dodo bird was possibly monogamous
Some say that the dodo bird was a very loyal mate. It was also very committed to its chicks. In ground nests, it is possible that these birds may have laid only one egg at a time. However, this slow reproduction process may have had an impact on the species in big ways, which could have contributed to their extinction.
Dodos looked like a big pigeon
It was difficult for scientists to determine what kind of bird this was even during its life. They were often grouped with various types of birds - chickens, eagles, cranes or even penguins. However, upon closer inspection, some experts believed it resembled young pigeons. In 2007, a biologist discovered the dodo is a distant relative of the pigeon after conducting DNA analysis.
Two cousins of the dodo also went extinct
The dodo had two cousins who also went extinct. One was the "white dodo" of Réunion, which had a yellowish-white bird whose wings were black at the tip. The other was the Pezophaps solitarius, which was a solitaire flightless bird, whose colour was gray and brown. It had a swan-like neck and had become extinct somewhere around the 1760s.
