 The beak of the Rodrigues solitaire was slightly hooked , and its neck and legs were long . One observer described it as the size of a swan . The skull was 170 mm ( 6 @.@ 7 in ) long , flattened at the top with the fore and hind parts elevated into two bony ridges structured with cancellous bone . A black band ( a contemporary description described it as a " frontlet " ) appeared on its head just behind the base of the beak . The plumage of the Rodrigues solitaire was described as grey and brown . Females were paler than males and had light @-@ coloured elevations on the lower neck . 
