the dodo bird (Raphus cucullatus) gets its name from one of two possible sources. The more likely of the two is the Dutch word “dodoor,” which means “sluggard” and relates to Dutch sailors’ descriptions of the bird as lazy and slow. It’s also possible the name derived from the Portuguese word “doudo,” used to describe something that is foolish or simple. While this reputation for being slow and stupid is widely credited as the reason for the bird’s demise, the truth is humans hunted dodos to extinction. The last living dodo was seen prior to 1681.
Dodos were described as large plump birds with wings at their sides too small or weak to lift the bird off the ground. Archaeologists believe the bird was around 5 feet long and weighed about 40 pounds when full grown. They had gray feathers on their bodies and tails with white plumes, and short, thick legs ending in 4-toed feet with black claws. Dodos are perhaps most well-known for their large hooked beaks, which were either pale yellow or green in color.