Red-crowned crane bowing to his mate in Hokkaido, Japan
© Steve Bloom Images/Alamy Stock Phot
Better together. Valentine's Day
Love is in the air as Valentine's Day arrives! This holiday is often associated with various romantic symbols, such as Cupid or Romeo and Juliet, the famous star-crossed lovers of William Shakespeare. Symbols of love can also be found in nature, such as red-crowned cranes, seen today in the reed marshes and frozen lakes of Hokkaido Island, Japan. These graceful birds engage in captivating mating dances to strengthen their lifelong bond—and symbolise good fortune, longevity and fidelity in Japanese culture. These gentle creatures even inspired a traditional paper craft, the origami crane; according to legend, folding a thousand cranes can grant wishes.
Related Images
Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) in flight, Troupe Head RSPB Reserve, Aberdeenshire
Wandering albatross pair, South Georgia island
Trumpeter swans at Kelly Warm Springs, near Kelly, Wyoming, USA
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, mother leading ducklings across road, Arundel, Sussex
Southern rockhopper penguins on the Falkland Islands
Hamerkop standing on a hippo, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Whooping cranes taking off during spring migration in South Dakota, USA
Male king eider ducks swimming in Troms og Finnmark, Norway
Bing Today Images
Bleeding hearts
Feb 14, 2026
Two Magellanic penguins, Falkland Islands
Feb 14, 2025
Grey crowned cranes forming a heart shape
Feb 14, 2019
Wilson Stump on Yakushima Island, Japan
Feb 14, 2017
Red-crowned cranes dance in Hokkaido, Japan
Feb 14, 2016
