 The preferred habitat of the dodo is unknown , but old descriptions suggest that it inhabited the woods on the drier coastal areas of south and west Mauritius . This view is supported by the fact that the Mare aux Songes swamp is close to the sea in south @-@ eastern Mauritius . Such a limited distribution across the island could well have contributed to its extinction . A 1601 map from the Gelderland journal shows a small island off the coast of Mauritius where dodos were caught . Julian Hume has suggested this island was in <unk> Bay , on the west coast of Mauritius . Subfossil bones have also been found inside caves in highland areas , indicating that it once occurred on mountains . Work at the Mare aux Songes swamp has shown that its habitat was dominated by tambalacoque and Pandanus trees and endemic palms . The near @-@ coastal placement and wetness of the Mare aux Songes led to a high diversity of plant species , whereas the surrounding areas were drier . 
