In today’s hectic world, you can be forgiven for feeling a bit cynical about Valentine’s Day. If like me, you’re bombarded with marketing emails and social media advertising from New Year’s Day, it can become a bit of a headache. But, as is so often the case, looking to nature can provide some perspective, relief and interest when it comes to forming partnerships.

There are all kinds of partnerships in nature, just like there are lots of different types of relationships for humans. Some of these partnerships we’re only just beginning to understand, but others can feel very relatable to us, and one of those is the mute swan.

Mute swans can be found on large bodies of water around the UK and are a fairly common site for many of us. Their crisp white plumage and distinctive orange beaks mean they’re hard to miss and to see them dancing is one of nature's real treats.

A swan’s dance is a mating ritual, and it involves the swans bobbing, stretching and intertwining their long necks as they circle each other in the water, often forming a heart shape with their head and neck – the very picture of romance!

But like any great date, it’s not all just for show. Mute swans mate for life and each year will perform a dance with their partner as way to reconnect at the beginning of the breeding season.

And the loyalty doesn’t stop there – the pair will co-parent their cygnets from the moment the female lays the eggs. During the incubation period, when the female rarely leaves the eggs, the male guards the nest. Keeping predators away and defending the territory from other swans.

Once the cygnets hatch, the parents raise the cygnets together, teaching them how to swim, preen their feathers, fly and forage their own food. With both parents caring for the cygnets, they’re less vulnerable to predation, however if one swan is to die, the remaining swan will parent on their own.

One study suggests that ‘divorce’ rates in swans is as low as 3%, which even in the bird world, where mating for life isn’t uncommon, this is a low statistic. Other bird species include albatross, ospreys, golden and white-tailed eagles and barn owls. 

So why do some birds mate for life? From a human perspective we might ascribe these lifelong bonds to love, but in reality, it's more to do with breeding success. The more broods of chicks that the pair raise together, the better parents they become and the more likely their chicks are to survive. Another reason can be that finding a partner consumes a lot of time and energy, as many of us know, so there are definite advantages to sticking by your mate!

So, this Valentine’s Day (or Palentine’s Day if you prefer!) let’s aim to be more like the glorious mute swan and make sure we take the time to reconnect with the people we love – whether that’s through dancing or just getting a coffee and heading out for a walk in nature.