This video shows the incredible camouflage skills of a grey heron blending in with the wall as it soaks up the rays of the sun on Christmas Day.

The footage was shot in the Vienna Wienfluss, in Austria, which runs through the centre of the city from west to east before exiting in the river Danube.

It is a narrow water source and popular with storks and herons that are often seen attempting to catch fish.

This bird was spotted by English jogger Mike Leidig who told Newsflash: “it is usually there in most mornings, and it never hangs around when there are too many people. But on this occasion, it seems it wasn’t very well, maybe it caught a chill, and had found itself a place in the sun to warm up.”

He added: “It was amazing that people were cycling or walking past and there were even dogs, and none of them seemed to notice it, even though it was right by the footpath.”

He added that he had raised the fact that the bird appeared to be ill with Austrian police who turned up to check out the situation, but the bird had then flown off when it saw them.

A police spokesman said: “It was probably just suffering from a chill and catching some sunlight and was relying on its camouflage to keep it safe.”

The bird is believed to have been a grey heron (Ardea cinerea) which is known to like shallow waters with a small shelf such as that found by the Wienfluss, which makes it comfortable while walking in order to find fish.