Although considered to be extinct by Muggles, the diricawl was a highly intelligent bird capable of disappearing at will and later reappearing elsewhere at the sign of danger. Its disappearing mechanism was very similar to disapparition and apparition used by wizards and witches as a means of transport. The Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards had deliberately decided to not inform the Muggles and their governing bodies of its continued existence because of how vigilant they had been about protecting wildlife after the supposed extinction of the dodo. Therefore, both the Diricawl and the Dodo can be considered a topic of this article.
Physical Features
The diricawl was usually bluish-pink in colour and had very fluffy feathers. It had a plump body and was flightless in nature due to its heavy body. It was found mostly on the island of Mauritius and in other nearby regions on the Indian Ocean. Diricawls were classified as magical beasts by the Ministry of Magic and were one of the magical birds to be described in the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.
In the film adaptation of the Harry Potter universe, specifically the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the Diricawl was shown as a bird with colourful feathers and a parrot-like beak as opposed to how a real-life dodo looks like. However, there is speculation that the historic dodo didn’t look like it was portrayed in the 20th century which is why it is possible that this in-universe depiction was an accurate one. In the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the diricawl is described as looking exactly like the dodo and that they are both the same bird.
Diricawl History
Diricawls have long been present in the wizarding world as well as the Muggle world, although the Muggles referred to them as dodos. These birds were native to the island of Mauritius and other regions surrounded by the Indian Ocean. In the videogame Hogwarts Mystery, Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before Hagrid, taught extensively about diricawls to his sixth-year students at Hogwarts in the 1989-1990 school year.
Diricawls are mentioned indirectly in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Professor Gilderoy Lockhart claims that the Giant Fire Crabs are going the way of the dodo as a reference to the impending extinction of the Giant Fire Crab. However, this is very unexpected for a wizard to claim as it is widely known among wizards that dodos are diricawls and are not extinct and are very much present in the Harry Potter universe.
The diricawl’s ability of apparition could be likened to that of a wizard or witch’s ability to apparate, use the Floo Network, the Vanishing Cabinet, or Portkey as a means of travel. Nevertheless, the witch’s or wizard’s use of some of these transportation methods is artificially designed rather than like disapparition. However, Professor Lockhart’s use of the phrase “way of the dodo” may be because of his upbringing with non-magical relatives who may have used this term as a figure of speech based on real-world facts.
Diricawls also appear in the Harry Potter: Magic Awakened video games.
The Muggles presumed that the dodos were extinct but no attempt was made by the International Confederation of Wizards or any Ministry of Magic to alert the Muggle authorities of their existence. It is believed that doing so was in the best interest of environmental conservation as non-disclosure of the existence of dodos actually had a strong impact on the Muggles. Muggles saw the extinction of dodos as a warning and that their approach towards the protection and conservation of fellow creatures had significantly improved. By the 21st century, this perspective had become an essential tool to fight the possible extinction of any species, and Muggle awareness of the consequences was at an all-time high.
Inspiration for the Diricawl
Since the Diricawl is considered to be the same bird as the Dodo, the obvious inspiration for the Diricawl is the Dodo. Although Dodos can be considered a real-life subject used to model a diricawl, according to the Harry Potter canon source, diricawls looked slightly different from the portrayal of Dodos made in the Muggle world after their extinction. The diricawls that might have been briefly shown in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore & Harry Potter movie adaptations resemble Dodos very much.
Dodos in the Muggle World
The Dodo bird (Raphus cucullatus) is believed to be extinct in the Muggle world. It is known to have inhabited the islands of Mauritius and was a flightless bird with fluffy feathers. Although many portrayals of the Dodo show it as a plump and heavy bird, it is believed that Dodos might have evolved into flightlessness after their surroundings provided them with ample food and resources, thereby reducing the need to fly for long distances in search of food. The Rodrigues solitaire is believed to be the closest relative of the Dodo. However, this bird is also extinct in the Muggle world. They together formed the subfamily Raphinae which belonged to the same family as doves and pigeons.
The closest relative of the Dodo that is not extinct is the Nicobar pigeon found on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar near the Indian Subcontinent.
FAQs
What does diricawl eat?
Diricawls mostly fed on fruits that were fallen from trees, nuts, seeds, roots, and other vegetarian produce found in their habitat. Some diricawls were also believed to eat shellfish, crabs, and other small sea creatures that were conveniently available for consumption.
Can a diricawl fly?
No, a diricawl is a flightless bird which is unable to fly for long distances like most other birds. However, diricawls are capable of teleporting from a place of danger to a new place that may keep them safe. Diricawls are known as Dodos in the Muggle world and are believed to be extinct for this exact same reason as most Dodos disappeared after human interference in their habitat.
What do Muggles call a diricawl?
Muggles call diricawls Dodos. Muggles believe that Dodos are an extinct species. However, diricawls are not extinct but possess the ability to disappear from dangerous places and reappear at safe places where their life is not threatened.
