The dodo was a large, flightless bird that lived only on the island of Mauritius. Having evolved without predators, it had no fear of people and could not escape the animals that humans introduced. It became extinct in the late 1600s.
Interesting facts
- Dutch sailors first recorded the dodo in 1598.
- The last widely accepted sighting was in 1662, less than 70 years after its discovery.
- Hunting, and the rats, pigs and monkeys that people brought to Mauritius, drove it to extinction.
- Recent studies suggest it was slimmer and more agile than old paintings show.
- The expression ‘dead as a dodo’ made it a symbol of extinction.
- A dodo appears in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Behaviour
Little is known for certain about its behaviour. It probably foraged on the forest floor for fallen fruit and seeds, and may have fed seasonally on different foods.
Breeding and young
Accounts suggest that the dodo laid a single egg in a ground nest, which made eggs and chicks easy prey for introduced pigs, rats and monkeys.
Threats and conservation
The dodo is extinct. Its story is a warning of how quickly island species can vanish when people and invasive animals arrive.
Where to see it
- Mauritius Natural History Museum, Port Louis
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, UK
- Natural History Museum, London
- The Mare aux Songes marsh in Mauritius, where many dodo bones were found
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
