About 43 millions years ago, a flock of pigeons from a distant island in the northern Indian Ocean partes company and flew off in different directions. Eventually some of these birds ended up on Mauritius and became known as Dodos, while others fled to the tiny island of Rodrigues and became Solitaires. Although the birds shared a common ancestor and had a similar history and fate, the remoteness of Rodrigues shelterd the Solitaire from the rest of the world, so that, unlike the Dodo, it is largely unknown even today.
A few eyewitness accounts of this elegant bird were recorded and have survived overtime, providing us with detailed information about its appearance and behaviour. This book examines these accounts, alongside various other journals, artist’s impressions, rare drawings and scientific research, to paint a compréhensive portrait of the Solitaire.
The story of the Solitaire begins against the backdrop of an idyllic, densely forested and uninhabited island. Many thousand of years later, man’s arrival on the island and its ensuing négative impact contributed, within just 100 years, to the Solitaire’s extinction.
This unique and beautiful illustrated book allows the reader to go back in time to see how the Solitaire lived, to trace what happened following its extinction, and to discover how the resulting scientific evidence has enabled a greater understanding of this fascinating bird.
ISBN : 978-99903-36-30-6
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