Pretty in gray? Brookfield Zoo Chicago welcomes four baby flamingos

Four baby flamingos have hatched at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

The zoo announced Monday that the baby chicks, whose genders are yet to be determined, hatched in the last few weeks.

Two hatched on July 26, one on July 28 and the youngest last Wednesday, the zoo said.

“We are thrilled to welcome more American flamingos to our family of aquatic birds,” said Cody Hickman, associate director of avian care, in a statement. “Our goal is to continue breeding and hatching chicks to establish a large flock, mirroring their social groups in the wild.”

The chicks are being kept behind the scenes, but beginning August 19, zoo visitors will be able to see the baby flamingos through the Penguin Encounter window from 12:30 to 1 p.m., the zoo said. There they will engage in exercise and water play.

The chicks have downy gray feathers, but as they grow, they’ll begin to turn pink.

In early September, staff will begin to take the chicks to the South Mall, where they’ll gain the strength and confidence needed to join the large flock, the zoo said. Once they turn 2 months old, the chicks will join the older flamingos who arrived at the zoo last year at The Swamp.

For those eager to interact with the year-old flamingos, the Flamingo Feeding Adventure is available at The Swamp on select days and times through Labor Day. Or, guests can join in the daily flamingo parade, when the birds take their daily strolls to the formal pool about 10:15 a.m. and back to The Swamp at 2:45 p.m., weather permitting.

Flamingos are full grown at 2 years old and can grow to be 5 feet tall with 5-foot wingspan, zoo experts said.

Native to the Caribbean Islands, South America’s northern coastline and the southeastern United States, flamingos are social birds that typically live in large flocks.