White Rhinoceros and Wattled Starlings
Kenya, Africa
White Rhinos are grazers and are found in the savannahs of Africa. This is in contrast to black rhinos which are browsers and are generally found in the scrub. While grazing, white rhinos are often accompanied by birds such as these wattled starlings. The birds feast on any insects the rhino stirs up, and pluck parasites off the rhino’s body, taking advantage of easy meals. When the rhino stops moving, the birds will often perch on its back.
Rhinos are markedly nearsighted; thus, they have poor eyesight and must be very close to see details. The olfactory center is the largest part of a rhino’s brain, consistent with the fact smell is a rhino's most critical sense. They use it to identify each other, mark territory, and find food. Rhinos also have excellent hearing and can rotate their large ears independently to pinpoint the source of sounds. Their cup-shaped ears efficiently catch and direct sound waves to the inner ear. This white rhino in Kenya is in full use of its senses, evaluating me as I stayed motionless, quietly taking photos.
Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.
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