As it is, the Nyishis hunted Hornbills not only for meat but the large beaks and feathers of the birds. It was owing to the fact Nyishi men have worn a headgear named Bopiya with the upper beak of Hornbills for centuries. Random hunting of hornbills by the tribe led the majestic birds nearly to the verge of extinction. This, coupled with deforestation and industrialization in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, led to a rapid decline in Hornbill population.