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Q How closely related are puffins to the now-extinct dodo birds? Allison McCullough LaGRANGE, ME Kenn and Kimberly: What an interesting question! The dodo, which lived only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, has been extinct since the 1600s. It did look somewhat like a puffin, with a big beak, upright posture and short legs. However, puffins can fly, while the dodo was flightless and much larger, more than 2 feet tall and weighing as much as 30 pounds. Puffins can swim and dive expertly, catching all their food underwater in the ocean, while dodos walked around on land. Recent studies have shown that the dodo was actually a very close relative of the pigeon. Q While harvesting my chestnuts in the first week of October, I noticed new blossoms…

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Birds & Blooms (Digital) - 1 Issue, October/November 2024

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