Unsorted Wild Birds

Mauritius Dodo aka Dodo

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. It was related to pigeons and doves, It has been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century

Description

It was about one meter (3 feet) tall and weighed about 20 kilograms (44 lb).

Diet:

Their diet consisted of fruit.

Nesting

They nested on the ground.

Extinction

The dodos were fearless of people, and this, in combination with their flightlessness, made them easy prey for humans. However, their extinction is mainly blamed on introduced predators, such as dogs, pigs, cats, rats, and Crab-eating Macaques, which plundered the dodo nests.

Cultural significance

The dodo is used as an example by many environmental organizations that promote the protection of endangered species.

 
 
 
 
 

Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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