The flightless bird endemic to Mauritius that went extinct in the late 17th century was the dodo.
Known scientifically as Raphus cucullatus, the dodo evolved on Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. With abundant food and few natural predators, it lost the ability to fly. Its closest known relative was the extinct Rodrigues solitaire, and both belonged to the pigeon and dove family.
Dutch sailors first recorded dodos in 1598. Human settlement introduced rats, pigs, dogs, cats, and macaques, which raided nests and competed for resources. Habitat destruction added further pressure. The last widely accepted sighting dates to 1662, although some later reports may have confused dodos with the red rail.
The dodo was not necessarily naturally clumsy or unintelligent, despite its popular image. Its fearlessness toward humans and inability to fly made it unusually vulnerable on an island ecosystem that had previously lacked such predators. Its extinction was not widely accepted until the 19th century.