5 Most Extinct Birds In The World

by Ashwini R · July 22, 2015

Dodo Bird (Photo Credit: Frederick William Frohawk / Public Domain)

Dodo Bird

The dodo is an extinct flightless bird. It was endemic to the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo was about 1 metre tall and may have weighed 10.6–21.1 kg. The dodo ate nuts, seeds, bulbs and roots. The dodo might have eaten crabs and shellfish. The dodo’s appearance in life is evidenced only by drawings, paintings and written accounts from the 17th century.

Dodo And Red Parakeet (Photo Credit: William Hodges / Public Domain)

Moas

Moa Bird (Photo Credit: George Edward Lodge / Public Domain)

The moa were nine species of flightless birds and endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species of moa was Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about 3.6 m in height and weighed about 230 kg. All these nine species of moa were the only wingless birds. Moa fed on a range of plant species and plant parts, including fibrous twigs and leaves taken from low trees and shrubs. The moa’s only predator was the massive Haast’s eagle. After that humans were hunted moa’s.

Giant Haasts Eagle Attacking New Zealand Moa (Photo Credit: John Megahan / CC BY 2.5)

Mascarene Parrot

Mascarene Parrot (Photo Credit: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public Domain)

The Mascarene parrot or Mascarin is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island. The Mascarene parrot was 35 cm in length with a large red bill and long, rounded tail feathers. Very little is known about the Mascarene parrot in life. The parrot were eight and more species endemic to the Mascarenes but only the Mauritius parakeet has survived. The others probably all became extinct due to a combination of excessive hunting and deforestation.

Mascarene Parrot (Photo Credit: Jacques Barraband / Public Domain)

Kangaroo Island emu

Kangaroo Island emu or dwarf emu is an extinct bird. The species became extinct by about 1827. It is believed that this emu lived in the interior forest. The species extinction has been attributed to hunting and habitat clearance through burning.

Kangaroo Island Emu (Photo Credit: Henrik Gronvold / Public Domain)

Laughing Owl

Laughing Owl (Photo Credit: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public Domain)

The laughing owl or the white-faced owl was an endemic owl of New Zealand. It was completely extinct by 1914. Its length was 35.5–40 cm and weight was around 600 grams. Males being smaller than females. The species was given its name because of this sound. The sound just like the barking of a young dog.