Book Description

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 44. Chapters: Broad-billed Parrot, Dodo, List of birds of Mauritius, Mascarene Coot, Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher, Mascarene Swiftlet, Mascarene White-eye, Mauritian Duck, Mauritian Shelduck, Mauritius Blue Pigeon, Mauritius Bulbul, Mauritius Cuckooshrike, Mauritius Fody, Mauritius Kestrel, Mauritius Night Heron, Mauritius Olive White-eye, Mauritius Owl, Mauritius Parakeet, Pink Pigeon, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Red Rail, Reunion Harrier, Rodrigues Fody, Thirioux's Grey Parrot. Excerpt: The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its closest genetic relative was the also extinct Rodrigues Solitaire, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae of the family of pigeons and doves. The closest living relative of the Dodo is the Nicobar Pigeon. A white Dodo was once incorrectly thought to have existed on the nearby island of Reunion. The Dodo's external appearance is evidenced only by paintings and written accounts from the 17th century. Because these vary considerably, and because only a few sketches are known to have been drawn from live specimens, its exact appearance in life remains a mystery. Similarly, little is known with certainty about its habitat and behaviour. Subfossil remains show the Dodo was about one 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall and may have weighed 10-18 kg (22-40 lb) in the wild. It has been depicted with brownish-grey plumage, yellow feet, a tuft of tail feathers, a grey, naked head, and a black, yellow, and green beak. It used gizzard stones to help digest its food, which is thought to have included fruits, and its main habitat is believed to have been the woods in the drier coastal areas of Mauritius. One account states its clutch consisted of a single egg. It is presumed that the Dodo became flightless because of the...