Rome Zoo are thrilled to announce the birth of four new baby flamingos.

The flamingos were born on Thursday and weight about 100 grams each. Zookeepers can not yet determine the gender of the flamingos, as they can only find out through DNA testing.

Baby flamingos are usually grey in colour, and gradually turn pink as they grow older.

Zookeepers were surprised by the sudden fecundity of their flamingos this year.

One of them, Yitzhak Yadi says many things are required to created an environment for flamingos to breed: "One of the requirements is the number of flamingos you have, you need at least 20. The sex ratio should be one to one, the breeding site needs to be appropriate and the soil needs to be right for them to build their nests."

Flamingos work in teams to protect the newborns and eggs; the parents stand around the nest while other adults huddle together to secure the area.

Yadi explains that male and female flamingos have an egalitarian relationship - over the 30 day incubation period of their eggs, they spend equal time sitting on the nest.

They also devote an equal amount of time to feeding their babies after they hatch from their eggs.