Hint: It’s not the ermines fault. The Dodo is an extinct species of bird that once lived on the small island of Mauritius. From the end of the 16th century, these birds were hunted by sailors who wanted food on their long sea trips or trophies for their homes because they were so strange-looking.

The bird had a height of 56 to 65 inches (1.42-1.65 meters) long and had a large head with a very hooked bill; its height is estimated at around 23 inches (58 centimeters).

Dodos were about a meter tall and weighed about 20 kilos (44 lbs) in the wild. They lived on fruits that fell from trees.

The dodo bird has become an example of how human hunting can drive animals to extinction. 

The last of the dodo birds died in 1662.

Why is the dodo bird extinct?

The Dodo has become extinct because it was hunted by sailors who wanted food on their long sea trips or trophies for their homes. After all, they were so strange-looking. The last specimen died in 1662— less than100 years after the arrival of people on its island home where no dodos left.
When people arrived in Mauritius, they brought animals that ate plants and killed other wild animals. Because so many predators came to Mauritius, there was not enough food for these creatures. It wasn’t prepared for the new predators either because it had no natural predators before people arrived in Mauritius.

The dodos’ eggs and young died because too few adult dodos were left to protect them.
When sailors started using Mauritius as a stopover to load fresh water and fruit, they also hunted the birds for food or sport, leading to complete extinction by 1681.

Except for some drawings made while it still lived, and some stuffed and mounted specimens in museums, the Dodo is completely gone from the earth.

What did a dodo look like?

A dodo had greyish-brown, fluffy feathers all over their bodies except for large skin patches on their heads covered in coarse yellowish bristles. Their beaks were thick and hooked with pink coloring in adults at the tip. They also have black eyes surrounded by bare red orbital skin with no eyelids!

Can dodo birds fly?

No, dodos couldn’t fly. There were perfectly adapted for a life on the ground and were too heavy to fly.

What did a dodo eat?

The Dodo’s beak was adapted for eating fruit, nuts, and seeds. However, they also ate insects such as beetles and ants, which they found on the ground.

Dodo Birds ARE real.

Yes, dodo birds are real. You probably knew this before, but the question comes up a lot since most people discover the Dodo for the first time in books like Alice in wonderland. This is great because it keeps the Dodo from being forgotten.

The Dodo Bird Facts – In a nutshell

It was a flightless bird.

Lived in Mauritius.

The Dodo ate whatever it could find on the ground – nuts, seeds, roots, and small animals like crabs.

It became extinct by 1681 due to overhunting

Dodos were real birds.

And we have dodo Art Prints in our shop! Visit us.