There's a reason why the Dodo was coined as an official species. The Dutch didn't conjure up their food source out of their imaginations, and there is evidence from bones and such in addition to logs by Dutch sailors about their existence.
The appearance of the Dodo was one of the primordial reasons it was so easy to hunt and eventually eradicated for its meat. It had never had met man before, had short legs, could barely fly and was thus an easy target.
Research into the nature of the Dodo, as well as research of dinosaurs, didn't originate out of thin air. It's easy to find out their point of origin. If all else fails, do a trip to Mauritius and see for yourself what is on display pointing out to the bird's prior existence and nature.
