We aim to provide information to students, educators and anyone who is intrigued by the story of the dodo, an extinct large flightless bird that once lived on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The dodo is a bird that went extinct just over 300 years ago, in the second half of the 17th century. It is one of the first animals for which humans realized that they played a fundamental role in its disappearance. The dodo can still teach us new lessons about evolution, biodiversity and the importance of biological conservation.
Our website launched on January 30, 2024 as a labor of respect for the dodo and all the threatened animals and ecosystems it represents. We are still in the process of adding new content.
Use
Educators and students are encouraged use materials from this website in their lesson plans or school projects and should credit the site and source content when they do. We strive to provide access to materials through a CC-BY-NC-ND license whenever possible. Commercial use of the content of this website is prohibited. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
Future Site Development
Future site development will be partially placed in the hands of undergraduate research students at the University of Maastricht, University of Amsterdam and our partner institutions in Mauritius, the UK, and the USA, as part of their project-based curriculum.
The dodo was unique to the island of Mauritius
After its discovery, Mauritius remained uninhabited until 1638, when the first Dutch settlement was established
Case studies
Looking for dodo remains in the Mare aux Songes
Looking for dodo remains in museum collections
Dodo Science: the real facts and latest research about the dodo 