The Week Of March 6, 2011
the little bird told me newsletter
The DODO BIRD
BY RAVEN BLACK
We all know about birds. That there are thousands of different species of birds. That not all birds can fly. But do we all know about the Dodo Bird? Yes, it is extinct, but yes, it did exist. The Dodo Bird has drawn the attention of many biologists through the years, but it caught mine more than any other bird. With its rounded head, and its oddly shaped beak, the Dodo Bird it by far the most interesting bird, in my own personal opinion. Now, many of you readers may be thinking, "Dodo? RAVEN'S a dodo! This bird isn't interesting at all!" But, I think it is the most interesting bird for these reasons.
It is very intriguing because the Dodo Bird used gizzard stones to eat. A gizzard stone, or stomach stone, is also known more correctly as a Gastrolith. It is a rock held inside of the gastrointestinal tract. It is used to grind up food. The dodo bird and other animals used these because they didn't have teeth or good teeth for grinding the food in their mouths or beaks. Gastroliths have been found from the size of cobbles to the size of a grain of sand.
Another fact that sets the Dodo apart from any other bird is probably that its beak was long and curved, and there was a curved hook on the end. It has a plumage of feathers pointing off of its hind quarters. Its wings were very small and its legs were yellow and stout. The dodo was a very large bird. It could have weighed up to 23 kilograms (50.6 lbs). The dodo lived in Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. The closest living relative to the Dodo is the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) (Link is to Wikipedia.org). The Nicobar Pigeon is greenish with a red spot on its neck. It is built like a small modern pigeon. It isn't the rat of the skies, it's the Dodo of the skies!
For more on the Dodo bird, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo!
The Little Bird Told Me Newsletter © 2011 C. Bryan, and M. James
This article by Raven Black.
