Fun Dodo Facts For Kids

Are you fond of birds and a bird enthusiast? Then, you must have heard the name 'Dodo'. Dodo, which was a beautiful bird native to the island of Mauritius to the east of Madagascar, is now nowhere to be seen. The scientific name of this bird is Raphus cucullatus. This large flightless bird became extinct in the 17th century, and now all we have is some sketched images, sculptures, and some relevant information obtained by examining its fossils. Although this extinct flightless bird is still an unresolved mystery, we have tried to gather all the relevant information and facts about these wonderful birds. Analysis of their specimens reveal that these birds were closely related to pigeons.

As these birds were native to islands without any predators, Dodo's evolution ensured that these birds did not have any wings. Dodo's extinction is still a mystery, however. So, if you are looking to know all that is relevant about this extinct flightless bird then make sure you read this article to the very end. To know more about different birds, you may also look at birds of paradise facts and tawny owl facts.

What type of animal is a Dodo?

The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a bird of the Columbidae family. The bird became extinct in the year 1690. Scientists officially named them as a mini ostrich, an albatross, and a vulture. The Dodo shared much resemblance to the pigeon bird species. This animal species was native to the island of Mauritius.

What class of animal does a Dodo belong to?

A Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) belonged to the Aves class of animals. This species has now been extinct for several centuries. It is believed that before extinction, these birds were found in the island of Mauritius. When their specimens were analyzed, it was determined that these birds are closely related to pigeons.

How many Dodos are there in the world?

Unfortunately, there are no Dodos left to be seen in this world. In the year 1690, the Dodo bird became completely extinct from the island of Mauritius.

Where does a Dodo live?

Dodo birds were found in Mauritius only, which is the east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. These extinct birds were likely to make their habitat along the shores where they could easily access to their prey.

What is a Dodo's habitat?

The Dodo was found only in Mauritius, which is almost 500 miles away from the Eastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian ocean. The Dodo was mainly a forest bird. They used to occasionally venture out near to the shoreline.

Who do Dodos live with?

Dodos used to live in groups called flocks. Like other pigeon birds, they used to fly in flocks and hunt their prey from the ocean.

How long does a Dodo live?

The average lifespan of a Dodo bird was 10-30 years. However, they are all extinct now due to improper handling and interference of humans.

How do they reproduce?

In order to reproduce, the female Dodos would lay eggs. There is not enough information available about the incubation period and mating of the Dodos but it is commonly said that Dodos used to build their nests on ground. The females used to lay one egg at a time, and the estimated gestation period of a Dodo bird is said to be 49 days.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of a Dodo bird is extinct. These flightless birds became extinct in the year 1690. The reasons for their extinction were habitat loss, lack of adaptations, animals eating their eggs, and over-harvesting of the bird. Out of present species, Dodos are considered to be closely related to pigeon birds.

What do Dodos look like?

Dodos (Raphus cucullatus) were flightless large birds with a height of three-feet, grey feathers, and a white plume as their tail. The Dodo bird had really small wings and breast bones. The Dodo was a heavyweight bird. The average weight of a Dodo bird was between 28-50 lb. Their heavyweight and small wings made it difficult for them to fly, and moreover, the Dodo birds didn't face any special need to fly on their native island. So, as time passed, they lost their ability to fly.

How cute are they?

Dodos were indeed cute birds. Although we haven't got the chance to see these birds presently, the images of them give us a fair hint that these birds were really cute and fascinating creatures, especially at that time.

How do they communicate?

The Dodo species became extinct in 1690, and a lot of information about them is still being discovered. But there are some channels known about their communication, such as visual (communicating by using sights), tactile (communicating by touching), acoustic (communicating through sights) and chemical (communicating through chemicals such as smell).

How big is a Dodo?

A Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)  was a giant bird that had a three ft tall body.

How fast can a Dodo fly?

Dodo birds were flightless birds. Their heavyweight and small wings made it difficult for them to fly, and moreover, the Dodo birds didn't face any special need to fly on their native island. So, gradually they lost their ability to fly.

How much does a Dodo weigh?

Dodo birds were gigantic and heavy-weighted birds. Their average weight was in the range of 28-50 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no different name allotted to their male and female species. They are simply called male Dodo and female Dodo.

What would you call a baby Dodo?

Generally, the baby birds are called nestlings. A baby Dodo can also be called a nestling as there is no other special name allotted to a baby Dodo.

What do they eat?

Dodo birds were omnivores which means they used to eat both herbivorous and carnivorous diets. In its herbivorous diet, they used to eat fruits like tambalacoque, nuts, seeds, bulbs, and roots. In the carnivorous diet, they used to prey on crabs and shellfish.

Are they dangerous?

There isn’t sufficient information available about this bird's behavior, but one thing we know is that the Dodo bird wasn't dangerous. The Dodo bird is said to be a clumsy bird with the no anger issues. There is no relevant information available about their dangerous behavior or clash with humans. So, they are categorized as not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

The Dodo is extinct therefore not possible to have them as pets

Did you know...

The last Dodo bird was seen in the year 1681, and the bird was officially declared extinct in the year 1690. It is a known fact that the entire Dodo bird species had experienced huge exploitation at the hands of humans, which resulted in the decline of their population. The exact reason for the demise of the last Dodo bird is not known.

How did the Dodo go extinct?

The Dodo bird became extinct in the year 1690, and many factors contributed to their extinction.

The Dodo was a bird endemic to the island of Mauritius, so the majority of their population used to reside in these forests only. In the 17th century, the sailors arrived and found that catching this bird was way easy. Even though the bird didn't taste good, many were killed and eaten by sailors.

Another reason that contributed to their extinction was when civilization began to occur on the island. The birds faced heavy losses to their natural habitats. The problems worsened when small mammals such as cats and pigs began to eat their eggs. The Dodo birds used to lay one egg at a time, and they were then mostly eaten by other animals.

These factors were responsible for the decline of their population. The last confirmed Dodo was seen in the year 1681. And finally, in the year 1690, the Dodo bird became extinct. In those days, people lacked  awareness about conserving wildlife, and the extinction of Dodo birds is a very good example of that.

Why are the Dodos so famous?

The Dodo bird is famous for a variety of reasons. The most major reason behind this popularity is its appearance. These flightless birds had a distinct and fascinating appearance. They had a bulbous beak with a stout body frame and small wings.

Another most interesting fact about the Dodo bird is that before humans, they had no other predators. These birds were living a peaceful and safe life in the forests of Mauritius. But when the sailors discovered them, they exploited these birds to the extent that their population declined heavily, and then the civilization in the area worsened the situation even more. These birds are now a very famous example of how the negligence and cruelty of humans caused an innocent creature to become extinct.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including secretary bird, or great green macaw.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Dodo bird coloring pages.