The Marvelous Spatuletail and his elegant tail feathers.
© Crawford. H. Greenewalt/VIREO

Valentine Love Stories Reveal Life Lessons

How can you send a meaningful Valentine’s message in a memorable way?

Chocolates

Flowers

Romantic dinner

Soul-revealing poem

Champagne toast

A truthful pledge to your loved ones that you think about them every day and not just on the Hallmark holidays?

As you ponder how best to show your love on Valentine’s Day, we offer some wacky/weird love stories and “Oh, I see” moments—creative ways to say “I love you” from our feathered and spiny friends.

Are there life lessons here? Read on . . .

The Marvelous Spatuletail: Good Looks Aren’t Everything 

The Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird really doesn’t need the word “marvelous” in his title at all. He just is. The male has elegant tail feathers, like a fluid Calder mobile or a hat at a British royal wedding.

His “tails” cross each other in graceful arcs and end with vibrant violet blue discs. He can move these feathers independently like an expert exotic dancer whirls her tassels.

The Marvelous Spatuletail is great looking. But does he rest on looks alone? Not a chance. He’s almost extinct in his native Peruvian forest-edge habitat (deforestation is the cause), so he gives the mating ritual his all.

He twirls. He spins. He flaunts his spatules. And, for the grand finale, he revs up and frantically waves his tail feathers as he hovers in front of a female. Hey, look at me! Hey look at me! Who could resist?

If video does not display, watch it here.

His dance is flashy and his tail speed impressive. Does he really need all that show?

Oh, I see. There can be good reasons to show off a little (not the least of which is preventing your own extinction). But there can also be more to love than flash (and tail speed). As H. Jackson Brown, Jr. said

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.

The Bowerbird: Setting the Stage for Love

Some might call the bowerbird a perfectionist, or workaholic. But most will applaud his desire to make everything perfect for his mate. With the skill of an architect and the eye of a flawless interior decorator, his choices are thoughtful and thorough.

The bowerbird hunting for tasteful decor for his bachelor pad
© Thinkstock

He builds an elaborate tower and then tastefully appoints his home with beetles, nuts, flowers, leaves, and pebbles, and all manner of shiny things.

These gathered treasures are neatly, and artistically, arranged by color to attract the female. If one thing is out of place, he gets fussy. No disorderly bachelor pad for him. Everything is categorized and organized.

When a potential mate is attracted by the treasure trove of decorations, the bowerbird begins his song and dance, hoping that his musical abilities (and interior design skills) will set just the right romantic mood.

Oh, I see. As Mother Teresa said:

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do . . . but how much love we put in that action.

(And a word of advice, Mr. Bowerbird. Lighten up, nobody likes a control freak.)

The Seahorse: A True Romantic

How can something so sharp around the edges and so full of spiny armor be so romantic at heart? Seahorses are just plain old-fashioned. They believe in courtship, slow dancing, and holding hands (well, holding tails).

The romantic slow dance of seahorses in love
© Thinkstock

Seahorse couples can be seen floating side by side, with their tails intertwined, or even floating face to face, where their bodies conveniently form a heart shape . . . to put them in the mood for love.

When the mating ritual begins, they dance gracefully, swirling around each other seductively, looking deeply into each other’s stony eyes.

Add to that the fact that seahorses are monogamous and the male carries the eggs until they’re hatched, and you have the ingredients for a perfect relationship.

Oh, I see. Romance, a faithful relationship, and a sharing of family responsibilities are hard to resist. Or, as Tom Robbins said:

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

A Valentine Vote

Men and women may have different views on what makes for a good valentine. Weigh in and check back to see how results shape up.

[polldaddy poll=6897170]Women, if poll does not display, take it here.

[polldaddy poll=6897408]Men, if poll does not display, take it here.

This Valentine’s Day, creative ways to say “I Love You” abound. All you need is a little imagination.

At the end of the day, though, love is what you make it. And . . . when all else fails, shake a tail feather, baby.

Video VIA Greg R. Homel and The American Bird Conservancy.

Quotes VIA Brainy Quote

See David Attenborough’s bowerbird video.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.