The 'white dodo' of Réunion was actually a lonely ibis

Nature · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For centuries, naturalists debated the identity of a mysterious white bird from the island of Réunion. Was it a dodo relative or a phantom of the imagination? The truth, unearthed from subfossil remains and 17th-century journals, reveals a bird that was far more common—and far more delicious—than once thought.

For nearly 300 years, the 'Réunion solitaire' was a source of intense taxonomic confusion. Early travelers described a white bird that preferred solitude and possessed 'exquisite' flesh. Because 17th-century paintings of white dodos from Mauritius surfaced in the 19th century, many scientists incorrectly assumed Réunion hosted a white dodo. This myth persisted until the late 20th century when subfossil remains were discovered in 1974 and 1987. These fossils revealed a bird with a straight, short beak and a robust build, identifying it as a species of ibis rather than a dodo relative.

The bird, now scientifically named Threskiornis solitarius, was mainly white with yellow and grey plumage, and black ostrich-like feathers on its rear. It was relatively small, reaching no longer than 65 cm in length. Unlike the flightless dodo, the Réunion ibis had reduced flight capabilities, possibly linked to seasonal fattening. It lived in mountainous areas but was likely driven to extinction by the early 18th century due to heavy human hunting and predation by introduced animals. Its popularity as a food source was a primary driver of its rapid decline.

The 'white dodo' paintings that fueled the mystery were likely based on a single stuffed specimen in Prague with 'dirty off-white' coloring, possibly caused by albinism or bleached taxidermy. While some scholars still debate whether the subfossil ibis is the exact same bird described in 17th-century accounts, the consensus is that the 'solitaire' was an ibis. This correction highlights how artistic license and the lack of physical evidence can shape scientific history for centuries.

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