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The dodo has become famous
because it is extinct. There were
dodos only in Mauritius. They
were abundant on our island.
Dodos were heavy birds and
could not y.They lived peacefully
on the island.
Sailors stopped at our island for
food and fresh water. They killed
the dodos for food. They were
very easy to catch. It is said that
three or four dodos were enough
to feed 100 people.
The dodo soon became extinct.
Long fat
curved neck
Large
black eyes
Grey
feathers
Strong pointed
hooked beak
Long large head
Short
wings
Large round
body
Thick long
yellow legs
You have read that the Dutch found different kinds of birds in the island. Unfortunately,
many of them have now become extinct. It means that these birds can no longer be found.
The story of two such birds are given below.
The Red Rail was also known as the
Mauritius Red Hen. It was 30 cm tall and
had a long and curved beak. It had small
wings,andlikethedodo,couldnoty.
It was said that the Red Rail was
attracted to the red colour. If shown
a red cloth, it would approach. Once
caught, it would call out to other birds
for help.
Other birds then fell into the trap of the
captors. The Red Rail, like the dodo, has
become extinct.
THE dodo
THE red rail
red rail
the dodo
3.5 extinct birds
note:
A model of the dodo can be seen at the
Mauritius Institute in Port Louis. The skeletons
of dodos have been found at Mare aux Songes
in the south east of the island.