Vienna, Austria - July 31, 2025 At Schönbrunn Zoo, a group of fluffy gray chicks is currently playing among the elegant pink flamingos. After about 28 days of incubation, nine chicks have hatched, with more eggs still being incubated, marking a remarkable success for the zoo’s breeding program. Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck explains that successful flamingo breeding depends on many factors working together: “From selecting compatible breeding pairs to establishing suitable breeding islands and deliberately changing the feed. But the weather conditions must also be right. Rain combined with the right temperatures are parameters we cannot influence.” The chicks are covered in gray down, which camouflages them in the clay nesting mounds. Their famous pink color develops only after about three years. In the wild, flamingos get their pink from pigments in crabs; at Schönbrunn Zoo, a special diet provides the necessary nutrients. Flamingos are known for their long legs, curved beak, and striking plumage. Their beaks act like a sieve, filtering food from the water. Initially, the chicks’ beaks are straight, and during their first weeks, both parents feed them crop milk, a nutrient-rich secretion from glands in the esophagus, according to curator Dr. Folko Balfanz. Last year, Schönbrunn’s flamingos also hatched a dozen chicks. To maintain balanced group sizes and help other zoos build stable breeding populations, some young flamingos are released after the breeding season as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.