This is the moment grey chicks walk among adult pink flamingos at a zoo in Austria.

Footage shows a group of young creatures interacting with the elegant, long-legged birds at Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna.

After around 28 days of incubation, nine baby animals have hatched, with more eggs still developing. This marks a significant success for the zoo's breeding programme.

Zoo Director Dr Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck explained that successful flamingo breeding relies on a combination of carefully managed factors.

He said: '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 fluffy grey hatchlings are covered in down, helping them blend in with the clay nesting mounds. Their signature pink colour typically develops over the course of three years.

In the wild, these birds gain their pink hue from pigments found in crabs. At Schonbrunn Zoo, a specially formulated diet provides the essential nutrients to support that transformation.

Last year, the zoo welcomed a dozen new arrivals. As part of the European Endangered Species Programme, some young flamingos are later transferred to help other institutions maintain stable and healthy breeding populations.

Flamingos are naturally social birds, often living in large colonies. Their social instincts can make them more receptive to interactions with humans, especially if they have been raised or regularly handled in captivity.

When these animals receive food, care, and positive interactions from humans, they can associate humans with positive experiences, leading to more affectionate behaviour.