The Dodo Birds Dodo Bird The dodo bird is a large, flightless bird, now extinct. The Mauritius dodo once inhabited the forests of the island of Mauritius. About the size of a turkey, the bird had a large hooked bill, undeveloped wings and tail, and short, thick, yellow legs. It laid a single, large egg in a ground nest made of grass.
The dodo was first reported in 1598 by Dutch colonizers, who characterized it as a sluggish bird unafraid of humans. Dodos were last observed in 1681. The quick extinction of the species is attributed in part to domestic animals imported to Mauritius by the settlers; animals such as hogs escaped to the woods, multiplied, and destroyed many of the dodo eggs. The name dodo is derived from the Portuguese word dodo, meaning silly or stupid. In present-day usage the word dodo is applied to a simple-minded person unable to adjust to new situations and ideas.
