In the past, demand for the birds' beautiful feathers resulted in a huge amount of hunting At the peak of the trade, in the early 1900s, 80,000 skins a year were exported from New Guinea for European ladies' hats. However surprisingly few birds die for these costumes nowadays. Ceremonial feathers are passed down from generation to generation. Local people are still permitted to hunt birds of paradise for traditional uses. However, hunters usually target older male birds, leaving younger males to continue breeding.