Blonde By Nature

The dodo bird has been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century and genetically speaking its closest living relatives today are pigeons and doves - although it’s lineage is somewhat murky. During the Eocene era the dodos ancestors were capable of flight however the AC dodo was strictly a land animal found only on the island of Mauritius.

The earliest account of the bird was 1505 when Portuguese sailors visited what is now the Republic of Mauritius. It is said that the sailors found the dodo “amusing” and as such the name dodo comes from the Portuguese word doido, which translates to “fool”, “crazy” or the Old English “dolt”. Furthermore the earliest known rendering of the species was in 1598 when a crew member of the Dutch ship Gelderland produced a rendering of the dodo.

The face of the dodo was bare, ash in colour while it’s beak was dark green and black with spots of yellow. The feathers were light grey with white colouring around the belly, throat and tip of the tail. This 40lbs, 3′3″ tall bird had pathetic little wings, short fat yellow legs and a stumpy, thick neck, thus, making it vulnerable to predators. Its only defense mechanism was a harsh bite.

Other tidbits:

• Flat: Shacked up in nests on the forest ground
• Mobility: It walked with a stiff waddle or an awkward toddle that made the sailors giggle
• Speech: One possibility is that the bird had a unique “doo-doo” sounding call - the onomatopoeic approximation of its name
• Shaggin’/Kinfolk: They attracted their life-long mate by clapping their wings in a very seductive manner. Romping happened all year-round, they birthed 1 egg at a time and parenting involved both partners
• Grubb: This is relatively unclear but some sailors describe them as fish hunters as they often waded in shallow waters. Also, there is speculation that they may have supported the life force of the calvaria tree (aka dodo tree) by triggering the fermentation process when eaten and pooped out

Why are they history? The dodo bird is said to be the biggest extinction lesson for mankind as it was human disruption that caused the demise of this species and it is well documented. They were hunted by the sailors and by introducing feral canines and felines, wild pigs, macaques and rats left behind by explorations, the bird was practically defenseless while their eggs were feasted upon and trampled.

Reincarnation: In ‘99 DNA was extracted giving hope, however, there are complications surrounding the resurrection because the closest bird to it is the pigeon, which is very removed. In addition, the genes extracted are fragmented and without closer relatives to fill in the sequencing gaps it might be impossible.

Coolness factor: There are accounts of the bird eating stone! (For aiding digestion and iron supplementation)

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