Papuan bird of paradise | Indonesia

People in Papua often use bird of paradise feathers in their clothing and customs, and several centuries ago bird of paradise feathers were used as the basis for making women's hats in Europe. Hunting for feathers and habitat destruction has reduced the numbers of some species to threatened levels; Habitat destruction due to deforestation is now a major threat.

The hunting of birds of paradise for their feathers for the hat trade was rife in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Cribb 1997), but today the birds are protected and hunting is permitted only for ceremonial purposes by local tribes.