Tiergarten Schönbrunn announces birth of sixteen flamingo chicks

Tiergarten Schönbrunn has announced the birth of sixteen flamingo chicks. Currently, the young birds possess a mouse-gray plumage rather than the characteristic pink color associated with the species.

Curator Folko Balfanz explained that this gray downy coat serves as effective camouflage within their muddy nesting mounds, protecting them from predators. The birds will not develop their pink coloration until they are approximately three years old. This color change is derived from carotenoids found in their diet, specifically from the algae and small crustaceans they filter from the water.

Zookeeper Dominik Eigenbauer noted that the first chicks hatched in late August and have already left their nests to join a group described as a ‘kindergarten.’ While the chicks stay together in this group, they are continuously monitored by adult flamingos. The parents continue to visit the group regularly to provide nutrient-rich crop milk.