 Some evidence , including their large size and the fact that tropical and frugivorous birds have slower growth rates , indicates that the Rodrigues solitaire may have had a protracted development period . Based on mass estimates , it has been suggested the male could reach the age of 28 , and the female 17 . Pierre @-@ André d <unk> , writing about his time on the island around 1735 , stated that a captive Rodrigues solitaire ( which he described as having a melancholic appearance ) would always walk in the same line until running out of space , and then return . The species may have lived primarily in the island 's woodlands , rather than on the shores . 
