Love is in the air as we celebrate Valentine's Day. We thought it would be the perfect time to showcase the loyal lovers of the bird world who choose to mate with their partner for life. Here are a select few of the UK birds that mate for life and some of their interesting romance rituals.

Barn Owls

Our beloved barn owls are truly chivalrous birds when it comes to love. They perform elaborate courtship rituals to attract a mate and repeat the process with the same partner every spring to re-establish their bond. These courtship rituals include courtship flights, calls, and offerings of food. Barn owls regularly use the same nest site every year, and during the nesting season, females hunt less to incubate their eggs, and the male will travel out to find her food.

House Sparrows

The house sparrows are one of the few garden birds who mate for life and are known for their love of settling down. Not only do they mate for life, but they also remain together throughout the year at the same nest site. However, it's not all happy families, as some house sparrows may indulge in 'extra-marital affairs' away from the nest. Studies have shown that as many as 15% of sparrow chicks are raised by a father that probably isn't theirs!

Atlantic Puffins

Puffins are always a delight to be around, not just for us humans but for their puffin partners as well! This beautiful couple can stay together for over 20 years and will produce a single chick every summer. Puffins will migrate to the North Sea for the winter, but every summer, they will return to the same nesting site and reunite with the same mate for more summer romance.

Swans & Geese

The picture of two swans entwining their necks in a heart shape is one of the best-known symbols of love and devotion. But does the romance continue into their love life? Swans and geese are known for forming monogamous bonds that can last for many years and even life if the breeding process is successful. If however, the pair are unsuccessful in producing a healthy brood of chicks, they will part ways and find more suitable mating partners.

Swifts

Not only do swifts pair for life, but unlike most of our garden birds, swifts can live for many years, with the oldest recorded to be 21 years of age. So, it's safe to say these birds are in it for the long haul. They usually find their partner in their first year, where they will practise their nesting skills. But it's only when they reach the age of four that swifts can successfully nest, with the male and female sharing parent duties equally. Once the nesting season is over, and summer ends, swifts migrate back south. But the pair will reunite again at the same nest site the following year, ready for more nesting fun. If you would like a swift pair to return to your garden every nesting season, why not install a swift nest box in your outdoor space?

2 swifts flying